


Sunlight Through the Trees in Summer

by RebelPaisley



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Abuse, Action/Adventure, Adult Language, Animal Transformation, Anxiety, Auradon politics, Bondage, Bonding, Claustrophobia, Comfort, Complete, Confined Spaces, Conspiracy Theories, Crack Treated Seriously, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cuddles, Curses, Daring rescue, Diplomacy, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling out, Family Reunions, Forced Confinement, Friends With Benefits, Happy Ending, Heartbreak, Holidays, Humiliation, Intimidation, Intrigue, Investigation, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Kissing Practice, Loneliness, Love Confessions, Low Self-Esteem, M/M, Making Friends, Massage, Mermaid Sex, Mild Attempted Murder, Mild Dubious Consent sort of, Mildly Referenced Alcoholism, Multi, Mystery, No Beta we die like vikings, Non-existent Self Worth, Not Audrey friendly, OT7, Other, Panic Attacks, Pet Names, Political Power Dynamics, Polyamory, Post-Descendants 2, Post-Descendants 3, Pre-Descendants 2, Premature Release, Public Breakup, Punishment, Rape/Non-con Elements, Referenced Claustrophobia, Referenced Controlling Family Members, Referenced Neglect, Referenced Shaming, Referenced depression, Restraint, Reuniting, Romance, Sad Chad, Scheming, Self-Worth Issues, Sexual Assault, Sexual Situations, Sieges, Slash, Speculation, Tags to be added, Temporary Kidnapping, Tentacle Sex, There is no romance while he's a cat, Threat of Force, To clarify, Touch-Starved, Unhealthy Conditioning, Unreliable Narrator, breaking curses, casual affection, cultural missunderstanding, exhibitionism kind of, internalized shame, oblivious chad, overscheduling, referenced abuse, slutshaming, time jumps, trauma response, unhealthy family dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-11-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:16:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 89,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26954212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebelPaisley/pseuds/RebelPaisley
Summary: Chad just wanted to go to Ben’s graduation party.  He didn’t need to get sidetracked by an Enchantress that felt like teaching him a lesson.  Even exhibiting the utmost respect, he still got transformed into a cat with one goal – learn how to accept love and the spell would be broken.Well, that should be easy-peasy, everyone loved cats, right?  Right, so Chad just needed to get some cat-appreciation and bam, the spell would be broken and this would all be a funny story he and Audrey could laugh about in the future.Except maybe things take a bit longer than expected.  Which is less than ideal.Also known as: That time Chad got transformed into a cat and somehow, that wasn’t the most important part of the story.
Relationships: Ben/Chad Charming/Gil/Harry Hook/Jay/Mal/Uma, Ben/Chad Charming/Mal/Jay, Ben/Mal (Disney: Descendants), Ben/Mal/Jay, Chad Charming/Jay, Chad Charming/Mal, Chad Charming/Uma, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel/Prince Charming, Gil/Harry Hook/Uma, Harry Hook/Uma, One-sided Chad Charming/Audrey
Comments: 345
Kudos: 192
Collections: just cry cry cry





	1. Present Day

-:-:-:-:-:-

_Present Day_

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chad’s life was a compounding accumulation of catastrophes.

It wasn’t enough that the girl he had been trying to woo went a little crazy and tried to take over the kingdom in a bid to win back her ex-boyfriend, or enough that she’d very publicly dumped him after that, when he hadn’t known they were dating. Of course, he’d been hoping they were, because Audrey was his everything, but he hadn’t even _known_ until it was over, which just went to prove how especially stupid he was. 

It wasn’t enough that he’d run out of that too-small, too-cramped closet like an absolute coward, making himself look like more of a dipshit in front of Ben (Ben, who had seen him at his worst for years, so what did that matter?) and Mal and Jay and a host of other attractive people that would also probably hate Chad. No, that wasn’t enough. 

In addition to all _that_ , Ben had to go and send a pity invite for Chad to stay at Auradon Castle for the last half of summer so they could ‘have one last hurrah before parting ways for the next year’ – which was the epitome of rubbing salt in the wound because Chad knew none of them wanted him there and yet he _had_ to go or forever look like a royal jerk.

That was what had him sneaking out of his grandfather’s strict clutches (a long running game between the two of them), walking to Auradon Castle on foot from the bus station because if he tried to hire a car, his grandfather would bribe the driver to take him straight back to Sardinia. And as lovely as that sounded, Chad would rather fulfill his obligations as Ben’s comedic relief than stare at another one of his proposals and listen to his grandfather list all the things he had ‘gotten wrong’. The first thing he had gotten wrong was trying to reach beyond his intellectual means. The second was looking like his mother.

The third was Audrey, and no more needed to be said of that because they both knew what had gone wrong there.

“You seem unhappy.”

Chad jumped at the sudden voice instead of replying with his guttural reaction of _‘please, no_ ’, turning in time to find a haggard old woman hovering just off the wooded path that led to Ben’s castle. She would be easy to mistake for an Isle resident were it not for the fact that she was definitely too close to the castle for that, and also Chad had definitely read the story of Ben’s parents about a hundred times, and he knew how this song and dance went.

“If you’re an enchantress, could you please, um- not do that?” Chad asked, cutting straight to the point. He was tired. His feet hurt from the few miles he had walked and his shoulder ached from the weight of his bag and he would overall rather get the polite niceties over with at the graduation party Ben was hosting and then lay low in his assigned guest bedroom as soon as possible rather than deal with any of this.

The old woman grinned, and then in a flash of light – _boom_ , there was beautiful enchantress, the light radiating off her so brilliant it almost hurt Chad’s eyes.

To be honest, he had actually been hoping he was wrong.

“You’re tired,” she said, her voice shifting from a low rasp to something ethereal and lovely.

Chad didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t made any demands of him yet. She was _going_ to, and he’d probably fail them, because that was the story of his life.

He shifted uncomfortably. “I’ve been walking for a while,” he said. “Not that I’m complaining-”

“Why didn’t you call Jay?” she cut in like a true creeper, the words making so little sense that Chad was left flabbergasted. “To pick you up from the bus station?”

This… felt like a trap.

“Because he wouldn’t do that?” Chad tried. “Jay doesn’t like me.”

“Jay likes you.” She seemed certain about this in a serene kind of way.

Since Chad had been raised with the healthy understanding that enchantresses were likely always _right_ , he decided to agree with her.

“Okay,” he said. “He likes me, but like, not enough to pick me up from the bus station.”

The guy probably enjoyed having Chad around for a laugh – but he was likely busy hanging out with his actual friends. He didn’t have time to cater to a prince who should be able to drive himself anyway. 

Fun fact – while Chad _could_ drive, he wasn’t allowed to do so legally, since his grandfather barred him from taking any driving exams. It was another point of contention between them, but ultimately it came down to Chad being too stupid to be allowed that kind of freedom. He got around it by hiring cars like a rich person, and so far that masquerade worked. Honestly, when was the last time his dad had driven anywhere? 

When was the last time he’d left the kingdom?

The enchantress hummed. It was not a comforting sound. “I don’t think that’s correct.”

“Then I shall bow to your expertise,” Chad said, feeling a cool sweat build on the back of his neck. “Honestly, if there’s some lesson here you’re trying to get me to learn, I’ll figure it out. I’m not that smart, but if you explain it, I promise I’ll try-”

“Why don’t you like Ben?” she interrupted, her lovely glowing hair curling around her in a sort of muted taunt.

Chad’s immediate response was ‘ _I like Ben_ ’, but he got a feeling that if he disagreed with the Enchantress too much, he was going to get cursed somehow.

“...it’s complicated,” he settled on, because he didn’t know how to put into words how small Ben made him feel sometimes just by existing. How Chad had tried to be everything the other prince was and his grandfather still hadn’t liked him. How Chad had tried to do his best to fight for Audrey’s hand and she still hadn’t given him the time of day. How Ben could toss someone like Audrey aside and then give Chad a surprised look when that seemed to hurt him. 

She hummed again. “I don’t think that’s true.”

“Okay.” Chad’s anxiety was building. “It isn’t complicated. It’s straightforward. I’m petty and dumb, I guess. That’s why I don’t like him.”

“That’s the second time you’ve dismissed your intellect,” the enchantress noted. “Why don’t you think you’re smart?”

“Because… I’m not?” She _had_ to know that. Chad studied and studied in school and _still_ somehow always came up short, even when he felt like he knew all the answers. The same happened in his private studies with the tutors his grandfather hired. “I might be good at some things, but-”

“I think,” she began, and this sounded sort of definite – a certainty that made Chad’s stomach fill with ice. “That you need to see how wrong you are to know that I am right.”

“I think you’re right,” Chad pressed somewhat desperately. 

Should he call someone? Who would he call, exactly, _Jane_?

“You don’t.” She was smiling though, like this didn’t offend her. “But you will, in time.” 

And then she waved her wand, and the world around Chad filled with a brilliant light before it just as suddenly faded away.

-:-:-:-:-:-

The first thing Chad noticed when he woke up was that the grass seemed… bigger. It was there, right in front of his eyes, meaning that he was lying sprawled on the ground except it didn’t hurt? 

It normally hurt when he was collapsed, but this felt fine. Natural, even. 

He moved to push himself up and _that_ was when everything felt wrong. His limbs were shorter, and he was very low to the ground. There was a soft sort of material cascading down his back which he eventually recognized as his shirt, except it was really big now, or-

He was really small. He was small, and he wasn’t _human_ because he had fur. He had fur and there was a _tail_ , he could feel it, and when he tried to make some sort of verbal protest a frickin’ _meow_ spilled from his throat.

When he looked up, the Enchantress seemed pleased beyond all reason.

“There,” she said, stooping low to pet the top of his _cat head_. He was a cat. _He was a cat_. “Now I think you’ll have a chance to see what I see.” She crouched down next to him, as though to level with him somehow, even though she seemed to tower over him like a giant. “You’ll be pleased to know this curse has no time limit,” she explained brightly. “And to break it, you only have to do one thing: accept love.”

Accept love? What did that mean? 

But she was already standing up, moving away as though she was about to disappear into nothingness.

“You’ll thank me for this, Chadwick,” she assured him in that musical, lilting tone. “Once you learn how to accept love, you will see how wonderful life can be.”

Before Chad could get so much as a _meow_ in edgewise, the Enchantress was gone, leaving Chad with some unfathomable self-help nonsense to get him back to his princely body. He didn’t know he could miss _thumbs_ and yet, here he was.

And he’d thought things couldn’t get worse.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chad didn’t panic. 

Or, he _did_ panic, he just tried to be productive about it. Such was the way of Chadwick James, prince of Sardinia. When there was no reasonable order of operations to follow in the wake of chaos, he found it was best to enforce his own to make things seem more reasonable. Step one, climb out of the remnants of his clothes. Step two, add the compounding anxiety of being naked but also not naked onto the other overall panic of being a dumb cat. Step three, find a way to open his bag, shove his clothes into it (he couldn’t just _leave_ them there, what if someone found them and thought he went _streaking?_ ). Step four, use that anxiety, panic, and frustration to find a well of strength his small cat body probably shouldn’t have to tug his bag off of the path and hide it safely in some bushes. 

There was no way he was going to be able to pull that to the castle. And even if he somehow _did_ , no one in their right mind would make the logical conclusion that the bag somehow belonged to the cat dragging it, so his stuff would likely get confiscated _and_ he would get thrown out of the castle and _this was a nightmare_. 

Proactive. He needed to be proactive. The Enchantress said he needed to ‘accept love’ to turn back, which should be easy. After all, he loved himself. Prince Chadwick James was known for his narcissism. He just needed to channel some of that persona here. What was not to like about himself? He was attractive and he dressed pretty well. He didn’t do well in school, but he was _charming_. 

Well, not charming enough to really have friends, but enough that people seemed okay to talk to him. 

And he was a prince. That was definitely worth loving. Most people weren’t _that_. He was going to be a king someday, and… woe to his people, because he was so very stupid. His grandfather kept trying to talk him into deferring the throne to a distant relative so Sardinia could ‘stand a chance’, but Chad kept hoping he would get better. 

And he might. He was very stubborn. He studied _a lot_. Eventually, that would reflect in his test scores. He had managed to get into college after all, he could only improve there, right? 

Right.

Chad waited a moment to see if his predicament would change, if the swirl of the Enchantress’s magic would consume him once more and return him to his princely form, but nothing happened. 

Okay, so maybe self-love wasn’t what she’d met, which was fine. Chad could get someone else to love him. He was a _cat_ , people liked those. There wouldn’t be so many videos of them on the internet if they weren’t at least a little bit popular.

For lack of anything else to do, Chad set back off down the path, making a note of where his bag was before moving on. 

Walking with four legs was an experience he tried not to think about too much, and he maintained that pleasant sort of obliviousness until he got close to Ben’s castle. 

The bright side of frequently sneaking in and out of places was that it gifted Chad with information, like back garden gates that were hidden behind overgrown bushes so nobody bothered checking them, which meant Chad could sneak into the back gardens without getting shooed out like the cat he very much was. 

If Chad knew Ben, and he did – at least, he knew how the guy threw parties – this secluded shindig would be taking place in the rearmost ballroom, spilling out onto the back terrace where young royals and probably VKs could mingle. Chad wasn’t entirely sure what he was looking for until he caught Audrey wandering the garden alone, gaze fixed to the phone in her hand.

That was perfect. Audrey might not be _in_ love with Chad, but she definitely loved him. Like, platonically. At least a little bit, he was pretty sure. He just needed to get her to see that it was him and then she’d raise a fuss and get Fairy Godmother and everything would be fine. This was great. Outstanding, even. And he hadn’t even been cursed for an hour.

Talking didn’t translate so well to his cat vocal cords, so his greeting came out as a warbled _meow_ that seemed to catch her off guard, the princess blinking up from her phone in time to see Chad trotting up to her. 

This was great, they were so going to laugh about this later.

“What?” she said, narrowing his eyes at him. “Go away. _Shoo_.”

Yeah, no – he couldn’t do that. He needed her to see past his stray cat exterior and into the loveable doofus that always carried her purse. She liked that guy, and it was with that knowledge that Chad tried to brush against her legs. That was a cat thing, right? She was wearing her pink ankle boots, even, the ones he had gotten her.

“ _Stop that_ ,” she hissed, stepping away from him. “Get out of here, you filthy mutt.”

Um- no, Audrey. It was Chad. _Chad_. 

Maybe he should write something in the dirt? He was a cat now, not _incompetent_. He could get her to believe him. 

“How did you even get in here, anyway?” Audrey continued, glaring at their surroundings. “The castle’s supposed to have better protection than that. Guards?!” She raised her voice just as Chad was contemplating etching something into the ground, immediately setting him on edge. “Guards! A little help over here?!”

Oh- no. Nope. That was enough to send Chad rocketing into the underbrush, feet almost moving faster than his mind could perceive. 

Okay, so maybe that had been a stupid plan. He knew Audrey didn’t really like animals. Or the _outdoors_. What had he been thinking, approaching her as a cat? He wasn’t even a purebred, as far as he knew. That was something she probably cared about. 

He couldn’t panic. The enchantress said he had to get _someone_ to love him – that didn’t necessarily mean Audrey. He was a cat, for Light’s sake. Someone would love him on those grounds alone. He just needed to… reevaluate, was all. Find a new target.

As if on cue, Chad heard the sound of muted sniffles emanating from a reclusive section of the garden, and when he nosed his way into the small, cordoned-off area, he found one of those new VKs. 

He was the big guy – the blond one? Chad hadn’t caught his name, though he seemed to smile all the time. He was one of the pirates, Uma’s crew, and for some reason he had found himself a secluded corner so he could cry into his hands. 

Why he was sad, Chad did not know. The guy had two very good-looking friends – scratch that, the guy had _friends_ – and he didn’t seem all that bad looking. He was well liked enough to rank an invitation to this party, so what was his deal?

Whatever, it didn’t matter. This was an opportunity. Normally, Chad would stay away from dudes (after everything that had happened, it seemed like the wisest move), but this guy seemed like a soft touch, despite being from the Isle. Chad just needed to go in there and work his kitty moves. Do a little whimsical forest animal cuddling, get some pets and the guy would fall in love with him. It couldn’t take that long – maybe two days at most? People seemed to really like their pets – there was no way Chad couldn’t at least obtain pet status. He had at least _that_ much skill.

So it was only with a mild sort of trepidation that he cut into the clearing, climbing up onto the stone bench the VK had parked himself on before taking the plunge and stepping into blond dude’s lap. 

It was not a place he wanted to be, exactly, but some sacrifices had to be made for the sake of undoing curses. That was just the way of things. 

Immediately, blond guy got out of his hunched-over position to stare down at Chad, fresh tear tracks streaming down his face. Without knowing what else to do, Chad winged it, shifting his weight onto his back paws (legs?) and stretching upwards so he could put his hands (front paws? _Ugh_ ) onto the guy’s chest. Like, a steadying measure. 

Blond guy sort of stared at him in bafflement. And then, seeming to not know what else to do, he started petting a hand down Chad’s back. _All_ of Chad’s back. 

Fortunately, the feeling translated to what would be his lower back on his human body, so it wasn’t like the guy was groping him accidentally, so Chad just- tried to suffer through that, a little. 

It was weird. 

“Hey,” blond guy sniffed, rubbing at his cheeks with his free hand. “You’re a um- kitty, right? Hey, kitty.”

Oh hey, he was adorable. Of course he would be charming, why would Ben hang out with non-charming people?

“Are you lost too?” the blond asked. The arm that wasn’t petting Chad reached around him, which was all the warning he got before he found himself lifted up and curled against blond guy’s chest. “I’m um… supposed to be at a party right now, but I don’t think I belong there.”

Honestly, Chad could relate. Though he couldn’t say as much, he managed a low rumble (that almost scared the shizz out of himself) before it transitioned into a purr. He was _purring_. At least blond guy seemed to appreciate it.

“Does that mean you like me?” blond guy asked, petting Chad’s head. It was an entirely foreign sensation, but Chad allowed himself to nuzzle into it. The point of this was to win blond guy over anyway. Two days, tops. Then Chad could pretend he got lost on the way to the castle and everything would be fine. “ _Awww_ , I like you too, kitty.”

The blond let out a watery laugh, seeming almost relieved.

“My name’s Gil,” the blond said, hunching down so he could nuzzle his cheek against Chad’s head. It was a weird sensation, because he was so _big_ and Chad was so _small_ and also, Chad couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this much physical contact with someone outside of Swords and Shields, but overall it was sort of nice. Chad decided he liked it, and _that_ was what he focused on, aside from the fact that this was Uma’s second mate, the one everyone talked about. “Do you have a name?”

Chad shook his head on reflex before he remembered he was a cat, and cats couldn’t understand humans.

Gil did not seem perturbed by this though, perhaps because he was as blissfully stupid as Chad. “Okay,” he murmured, brows furrowing in thought. “Then can I give you one? Like…” he trailed off, biting at his lower lip in consideration. “Shadow? Yeah, I can call you Shadow, because you’re black and you came from the shadows.”

It wasn’t the most horrible name in the world, at least. It was good enough for Chad, certainly, so he allowed himself to purr some more, nudging into Gil’s hand.

“Great.” Gil let out another relieved laugh. “This is awesome. Uma was right, I really did make a new friend after all.”

That was all the warning Chad got before Gil shifted to his feet, the ground seeming so much further than before.

“Come on,” Gil chirped, tone slowly but surely filling with excitement. “I can show you my room. Harry said I was supposed to stay at the party but Uma said I could go if I needed to, and Uma’s the captain, so…” He started walking back towards the castle, and what Chad got from that was that Gil had also managed to score a sleepover invitation from Ben, something not extended to all of those that had been invited to the graduation party. At least, that had been the idea Chad had gotten. It would have been too many people underfoot otherwise.

But Gil had been special enough to invite over. Or maybe he just didn’t have any other place to stay, because he was from the Isle. 

Chad kept his eyes fixed on their surroundings, but Gil took the most roundabout path back to the castle, avoiding people entirely until he ducked into one of the side doors for servants. He didn’t even blink when he pushed into what had to be a secret passageway, using the private stairs until he was in the royal guest quarters. As in, the guest quarters for royalty. The guest quarters that were located extremely close to the actual royal family sleeping quarters, which meant Gil wasn’t just a friend, he was _treasured_. 

Chad lost a moment dwelling on how very unfair that was until Gil pushed into one of the smaller family suites, bypassing the sitting room and lounging area altogether to go to one of the side bedrooms.

“I’m sharing this suite with Uma and Harry,” Gil explained as he turned the light on for what must have been his bedroom. Chad tensed at the mention of Uma’s name, but forced himself to relax, because he was a cat and not-Chad, and not-Chad’s didn’t care about who was resting in what suite. “They um… share their own room, of course, because they’re- _you know_ , but this is all mine!” He gestured around the expansive space, which seemed to be very untouched. “It’s um… super fancy,” he admitted, scratching behind Chad’s ears. “I’m sort of afraid to sleep on the bed.” 

He seemed sort of afraid to touch _anything_ , because the entire area looked like it had come straight from a magazine, meaning his personal effects must be stashed out of sight somewhere.

“But look!” he continued brightly, carrying Chad over towards a long couch. It was positioned in front of a large, flat screen tv hanging up on the wall. “I’ve got my own television!” He flopped down on the couch, letting Chad splay across his torso. It was sort of nice. Again, not something he would ever do as a human, but still nice. In cat-terms. “I don’t know how to use it, but Mal said we could watch movies and stuff on here.” He grabbed up the remote that had been resting on the couch, holding it up for Chad’s inspection. “We’re supposed to be able to control it with this. Cool, huh?”

Despite the fact that he didn’t know how to work the television in any capacity, Gil seemed pleased enough with the mere knowledge that he _could_. It was that sort of easy contentment that made Chad like him, had him giving into the impulse to help the blond. He reached out with one paw and nudged the power button pointedly, until Gil looked at it again in wonder.

“Do you want me to hit that?” he asked, staring at the remote. “I mean, it couldn’t hurt…”

He pressed it, and immediately the tv came to life, making Gil’s face light up in wonder.

“Hey, it worked!” he cheered, pumping the remote up and down in a sort of silent victory. “Do you know how I change what’s on it?”

That was how cat-Chad came to teach the VK how to use the remote, nudging at the corresponding buttons that answered his questions until Gil had an arm wrapped lazily around him while he changed channels, landing on a cheerful kind of musical.

“They all look so happy,” Gil noted, seeming breathless, and they spent the next few hours watching that, Gil scratching him while Chad did his best to get in some cat cuddles so he could be loved, darn it. 

At least he’d gotten to see a movie. His grandfather didn’t like television that much. He said it would rot Chad’s brains out, and he didn’t have that much to begin with. 

“I like happy endings,” Gil whispered conversationally when they reached the cheerful finale. “All the people dancing and singing together, celebrating a brighter future – that’s really cool.” He dropped his head low so he could kiss the top of Chad’s head again, which seemed to be a thing Gil appreciated doing for whatever reason. It was also super nice. “…they don’t tell you what happens past the happy ending,” he whispered. “How no one gives you a map, so you’re just- lost. It’s awful. I hate it.”

Aw, man. _Aw geez_ , Chad had nothing for this guy but contented purring, but that seemed to be enough for Gil, who was happy to dote on Chad as a distraction. Happy to, you know, shower him with _love_. Love that Chad graciously _accepted_. 

Come on, Enchantress, where was the magic undo? Chad wanted his thumbs back. 

Heck, he’d even commiserate with Gil for helping him, but also Chad felt sort of lost too so… maybe they could be friends? Chad thought he might like that. Gil would probably agree to it, if any of Chad’s friend points carried over from his cat form, and hopefully his past actions wouldn’t count _too_ much against Chad. Hopefully.

“Thanks, Shadow,” Gil whispered, soaking up Chad’s purrs. “You’re a good listener. I’m really glad I found you.”

That made two of them. 

If Gil was going to continue talking they’d never know, because in the next moment they heard someone enter the suite’s sitting room.

“ _Gil?_ ” Uma’s voice called, making Chad freeze in place. “ _Are you in here?_ ”

“Oh no,” Gil whispered, setting Chad on the ground. “You’ve got to hide. I don’t know if I’m allowed to have you in here but you’re my friend-” Chad didn’t wait for the blond to keep talking before he darted across the room, hiding under Gil’s large bed, and it wasn’t until he had been safely concealed that Gil spoke up. “In here, Uma!” he called, rising to his feet and _hopefully_ brushing off any cat hair.

There were a few seconds before the bedroom door opened, and not one, but two people came inside.

“Gilly,” the boy voice said – likely, Harry, the pirate that had laughed at Chad before, when he’d been terrified out of his mind. To be fair, he’d been afraid of a closet. Who in their right mind was afraid of closets besides _Chad_? “Did something happen?”

“Nope,” Gil chirped, nice and bright. “I um… just didn’t want to be there anymore, so I came back here!”

“And no one said anything to you,” Uma pressed, her tone carefully detached. “About who your father was.”

“Nope!” It was so cheerful and forced even Chad didn’t believe it, and he didn’t know Gil all that well. “Guys, honestly – I’m great. I just- I got all partied out. And hey-” He must have been gesturing to the remote, because his next words were, “I figured out how to work the tv!”

There was a pause. “That’s great, Gil,” Uma eventually said. “Want to watch something together?”

“Sure!” That, at least, seemed like genuine excitement, Gil’s unease melting away into open affection. “Let’s do it with the big tv out there, though,” he declared, and it took Chad a few seconds to realize that was for _his_ benefit, the blond giving him a chance to not be cramped under the bed for the rest of the evening. “After we get changed out of these clothes?”

Harry sighed. “Now you’re speaking my language,” he grumbled. “Captain?”

“That plan works with me,” Uma allowed, though her tone still seemed to be guarded. “And Gil, you know that we’re always here for you, right? For anything. We’re crew.”

“…I know, Uma,” Gil said, his voice carefully reserved.

Uma released a low hum, but let the matter drop. “Okay, then everyone get changed out of your stuffy clothes. We’ve got some leftover party food with our names on it.”

“That’s a plan I can get behind,” Harry said, and a few seconds later the door closed once more, leaving Gil alone in the room.

Chad waited for the blond to cross to him and wasn’t disappointed when he saw Gil peak below his bed, his brows furrowed. “Hey, Shadow,” he whispered, reaching a hand out. Chad went towards it gladly, nuzzling into it. “I’ve got to go hang out with the others, but you can stay in here as long as you’re quiet. I’ll um- leave the bathroom door open for you so you can get water.”

Where this logic came from, Chad did not know, though maybe the blond thought he could work sinks as well as remotes. 

Which was true, but Gil shouldn’t _assume_ that.

“I’ll sneak down to the kitchen and get you something to eat later,” he promised. “Until then, I’ll leave my tv on mute for you and you can sleep or… or do whatever you want just…” He swallowed, looking unsure. “Please don’t leave,” he asked, tone so palpably vulnerable that Chad ached, because it was a sentiment he echoed all the time, as little as he mentioned it. “Uma and Harry say they’ll always be there for me, but it’s not true. They’ve got each other, and I’ve got…” He trailed off in thought, scratching the top of Chad’s head. “Well, I’ve got you. That’s something.” 

It definitely wasn’t nothing.

Chad knew that sometimes you had to hold onto the little victories to make life manageable. Maybe that was why Gil was eager to hold onto Shadow the cat, but for whatever reason, he would likely come to love Chad, soon. 

It was only a matter of time.

“Okay,” Gil said. “I’ve got to get changed but um… welcome home?”

Chad purred his response, even if he didn’t necessarily agree with it. His home was in Sardinia, even if it didn’t particularly feel like one. 

Still, this would be a nice enough vacation. 

“Cool.” Gil grinned, taking that for the confirmation it was. “This is- this will be good.”

Chad hoped, for both of their sakes, that he was correct.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chad spent his evening listening to Gil and the others watch movies through the bedroom door, savoring the sounds of easy friendship. It seemed like they’d known each other a long time because they were comfortable together, and the thought of it made Chad ache with curiosity. He wondered what it was like, to have people in your life who knew you that well, knew your faults as well as your benefits and wanted to stay around anyway. Sometimes, he’d pretend he was on the couch with them, being let in on their private jokes. 

It hurt, a little, to hear how comfortable they were with each other, something Chad knew would have never been shared with him, but he pushed past that selfish thought to appreciate what was being offered in that moment.

If Uma and Harry were a couple, they didn’t go out of the way to rub it in Gil’s face. It was a kindness they didn’t necessarily have to extend, but they did so anyway out of deference to Gil. By the time they were winding down for the night, Gil seemed closer to his usual bubbly self, if a little sleepy. He bid them goodnight before walking back into his room, brightening up when he caught sight of Chad lingering near the door.

He wasted no time scooping Chad up, cuddling him against his broad chest as he walked towards the bed. He must have forgotten about his promise for food, but Chad was fine. He was used to skipping a couple of meals here and there, sometimes in a row – it wasn’t the end of the world. 

The bed was gigantic (and _soft_ , not like the straw-filled thing he had back home – his grandfather downgrading him every time he failed in the hope that it would motivate Chad to do better, and it _did_ , he just couldn’t seem to improve) but Chad ended up curled on Gil’s chest, his cat ear pressed against the pirate’s soft t-shirt so Chad could hear the comforting pound of his heart. He didn’t even mind when Gil settled a giant hand on his back. Like everything else, it was strange- but a comfort. He may as well hold onto that. 

“Goodnight, Shadow,” Gil whispered as he dimmed the lights with a remote on the nightstand. “I’m very glad we’re friends.”

Chad did his best to purr in response, nuzzling against Gil so he’d feel extra loved, and perhaps in turn, would come to love Chad. 

Night one down, and he was already well on his way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do not ask me how the idea for this story came to be, because I honestly don’t know. It grazed against my consciousness in the semi-coherent state of waking up from a nap and refused to leave. So now we have this. This masterpiece that I had to share with you guys, because it is madness and I love it. 
> 
> This story explores time jumps, so while all the present-day stuff will be with Chad-the-cat, it will also jump back in time to follow Chad-the-human making his way through the world, giving further context to the rest of the story. Some chapters will stick in one time period over the other, but most chapters will feature a bit of both, leaning more towards past interactions because that is when Chad actually gets to talk ;D
> 
> This story will consist of 13 chapters of story content, and one chapter of deleted scenes. Chapter 12, the epilogue (chapter 13) and the deleted scenes will all be uploaded at the same time. As always, please let me know if I missed something in the tags. I prefer to ere on the side of caution with these things, but when you stare at something for long enough, it can be easy to lose the details :)
> 
> I update once a week, generally on Sundays, but because things have been so crazy lately, I decided to make an effort to update twice a week. So there will be one update on Sunday and one update on Wednesday/Thursday for now. At least, I will try for this. There will always be an update on Sunday, though :D 
> 
> Just a heads up - I update the story tags as I go to avoid giving spoilers. 
> 
> Story notes: 
> 
> Look, I promise, I *promise*, I do have Audrey-friendly stories lined up in the future. It’s just for these first dozen or so stories she made a really convenient and easy antagonist to use, which is why she is filling that roll yet again. But it will happen. If I can have a semi-nice Duke, I can have a nice Audrey. It can be done. 
> 
> The last name James comes from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical ‘Cinderella’. I decided the Charming thing was more of a nickname. 
> 
> Sardinia is what I call Cinderellasburg because Cinderellasburg is stupid.
> 
> Until next time :)


	2. Eighteen Months Ago

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, now we’re into the time skips! This particular chapter takes place eighteen months before the events of Chad’s enchantment.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_18 Months Ago_

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chad didn’t mean to stumble upon Mal, least of all a version of her that seemed close to tearing out her platinum hair, staring hopelessly at a selection of scarves in what seemed to be the hopes that one of them might jump out and strangle her. 

It was a very specific look; Chad was intimately familiar with it.

He looked around to see if one of her Isle friends was nearby – and when that failed, to see if Ben or one of her Auradon friends was nearby, but it was just Mal alone, standing in the accessory section of a high-end boutique, seeming to curse the life choices that had brought her there. 

Chad slowed to a halt. Normally he wouldn’t get involved, but his etiquette teacher had _feelings_ about princes helping pretty damsels in distress, and Mal certainly seemed to fit that category in her cutesy lavender dress and pale locks and stricken expression of hate. And Chad was only _slightly_ on a time limit. Audrey had been feeling down lately because Ben had dumped her like an idiot, so Chad had just purchased her a few unique pieces of jewelry that had just come in stock from Hanover while he had a break between training and his next study session. He had about an hour to do so, and while he had planned to spend part of that time rewarding himself with food and making sure the packaging for Audrey’s gifts was perfect, he could spare some time looking into Mal’s situation. At the very least, he could text Ben, who might not be able to do something but he probably had Evie’s number and _she_ could help. It was all about delegating.

So with a confidence he did not feel, Chad strolled over towards the future Lady of the Court, noticing how several sales associates were maintaining a careful perimeter around Mal’s radius of fury. 

When she did not immediately notice him standing beside her, Chad cleared his throat. “What’s wrong?”

Mal blinked out of her one-sided glaring match to aim an unimpressed look at Chad. “What the fuck do you want, _Chad_?”

“I want to know what’s wrong,” Chad repeated, deciding to ignore the way she spat out his name like a curse. His grandfather did it all the time, it sort of reminded him of home. “Is something wrong with the scarves?”

Mal went back to turning her as-yet-to-be-defined fury onto the fluttery pieces of fabric. “I don’t _know_ ,” she hissed, crossing her arms with a furious huff. “Ben and I are visiting Imperial City at the end of the week and I’m in charge of getting our host gift, whatever the fuck _that_ is.”

“It’s a gift for your hosts,” Chad informed her, dutifully recalling the information his world etiquette teacher had worked long and hard to push into his skull. “As a show of respect, gratitude, and friendship.” Among other things. “Are you visiting the generals?”

Mal, who seemed to ready to snap at him for interrupting her, aborted the action with a startled look. “…yes.”

“Okay.” Chad nodded. “Then you probably shouldn’t get them a scarf.” He let his gaze drift over the rest of the store. “Or anything from here. A good option is something expensive that is exclusive to Auradon, like cognac.” 

Mal looked at him as though he had grown a second head.

Right. “It’s an alcoholic drink,” he explained. “A spirit? Adults like it.”

As far as Chad could tell. His dad liked it a _lot_. To the point where Chad had started to hide his bottles, because sometimes it seemed like he enjoyed it too much.

“Nimrod,” Mal growled. “We’re too young to buy that shit. Isn’t that like, an Auradon rule?”

“Technically, _we_ wouldn’t be buying it,” Chad pointed out. “Ben gave you a charge card to the castle’s account, right?”

Chad knew this because Ben had gotten one for Audrey, who used it whenever she had surpassed her own budgeted royal allowance.

Mal seemed suspicious that he knew that much, but she still nodded, fingering the strap of her dainty, purple purse. “…yeah?”

“Then we’ll just arrange for the purchase,” Chad explained. “If we go to the store and have it directly shipped to Auradon Castle, you – as someone with access to the castle account – will be allowed an exception.” Seeing as this shop was in no way useful to their current needs, Chad began guiding her out of it in confident steps he entirely faked “The shop that we’re going to is accustomed to these sorts of purchases – it’s an honor to provide a gift to other leaders in Auradon.”

“…huh,” Mal said as they got back onto the pretty, cobblestone street. “And the lady general and dude general will like this stuff?”

“General Fa and General Shang,” Chad corrected, the information having been drilled into his brain long ago. “And yes. But if you want verification, you should call Lonnie. She’d know for sure.”

Mal made a face. “Wouldn’t that be cheating? I’m supposed to do this on my own.”

“Acquiring additional information isn’t cheating,” Chad said, making a face of his own. “Part of being a leader is delegating to people with more intimate knowledge on particular subjects. It isn’t like Lonnie would be buying the present anyway, she’d just be confirming whether it is or is not a good gift.” He spotted the familiar store he used to frequent on his father’s behalf with a mixture of contentment and anxiety, nudging Mal towards it. “And that’s not cheating. That’s just… being careful. And it’s good to be careful, it saves a lot of time.”

Chad didn’t exactly have a lot of free time, that was why he tried to make the most of it. 

Mal let out a low hum, and then, without commenting on Chad’s statement at all, she pulled out her phone.

_Success_.

By the time they’d gotten into the store, Lonnie had confirmed Chad’s gift selection as suitable and Chad was on his way to finding the Senior Selection Adviser, who perked up after going so long without seeing Chad.

“Prince Chadwick!” François greeted with a pleasant chirp. “And Miss Bertha. How may I be of service to you today?”

“Do you have any bottles of Cognac Grande Champagne de chez Frapin?” It was always a mouthful, but Chad had been proud when he’d finally memorized the correct order of words for the drink. “Mal needs to get a host gift. Of course, your discretion would be greatly appreciated.”

“Think nothing of it!” François boasted, signaling to one of his assistants. “I have what you are looking for in the back. If you get your account card ready, Dominique will take care of you at the register and make wrapping and shipping arrangements.”

“Thanks, François.” Chad grinned, happy that things had gone so well.

“It is my pleasure, Prince Chadwick,” François said, bowing. He turned to offer one to Mal as well. “Miss Bertha.”

With that he left, prompting Chad to guide Mal towards the register where Dominique was waiting.

“It’s for high ranking Imperial City military leaders,” Chad explained, choosing not to leave specific names even though there could be no misconception as to who he was talking about. “Could you wrap it in red?”

“We shall use our standard gift wrap for Imperial nobility,” Dominique vowed, typing the instructions into the computer. “And shall we have this delivered to Sardinia Castle?”

“To Auradon Castle,” Chad corrected, a slight surge of embarrassment kindled in his chest, even though that was a fair misconception. “To the care of Henry Cogsworth.”

“Of course.” Dominque nodded, accepting Mal’s account card and making the necessary transaction.

“You have Cogsworth’s number, right?” Chad whispered while she got to work.

Mal nodded ever so slowly, like it was a test of some kind.

“Then call the castle and have him contact you as soon as the package arrives. It should be there by the end of business today.” François tended to expedite things for royalty. “That way you don’t have to worry about it.”

“And that’s it?” Mal asked, gaze shifting between her phone and Chad. “That’s all I have to do?”

“Pretty much.” Chad shrugged, watching as Dominique handed over the receipt and order confirmation to a bewildered Mal. “I told you – it’s important to delegate.” There was no sense in tearing out your hair over something that could be achieved by people better trained to do it. “You’ll have your gift by the end of the night and now you can spend your free time doing whatever you want.” Speaking of which – Chad glanced at his watch, frowning. “I’ve actually got to run myself, but call Cogsworth – after that, everything will be settled.”

He didn’t wait for her not to say goodbye, because hoping for such things had been trained out of him. He merely offered Dominique a polite nod before walking out of the store, back towards the location of his bike. He used it to navigate the city under the guise of staying in shape, but really, it was the best he could manage under his grandfather’s rule.

“Hey!”

Chad paused when he heard Mal’s voice, thinking she was thoroughly done with him that day, and was surprised when she rushed to catch up with him, phone and receipt still clutched in her hand.

“Why did you help me?” she demanded, brows furrowed in concern. “I thought you didn’t like us.”

“I didn’t,” Chad confirmed, because he tried to be honest. His grandfather had told him ‘ _those VKs are_ _no good_ ’, and then Evie had tried to use him like everyone else tried to use him and Jay had been vicious and Mal a _thief_ , so Chad had believed him. “But you guys chose good.” And that had to count for something. It _had_ to. “And Ben trusts you, so it seems kind of dumb not to trust you too.”

She stared at him for a moment, as though expecting him to elaborate. When she realized he had nothing, she spoke up again. “That’s it? That’s the entire reason?”

Chad shrugged sort of helplessly. “You guys have been working really hard,” he explained, because words were cheap but Mal and the others had at least tried to be nicer, to the point where Chad didn’t even fully hate Mal anymore for what she’d done to Audrey. Sometimes he wondered if that was a personal flaw. “That deserves respect,” he settled on, deciding they were words that likely wouldn’t come back to haunt him. He waited a beat, and then – “If you need any more help with host gifts, you can ask me,” he offered, because maybe Mal hadn’t realized that was an option. “I had to learn all of this stuff years ago – I may as well pass the info on to someone who could actually use it.”

Chad himself might never be king, but he was trying. He wished that would count for something too.

Mal stared at him as though he had just offered her a lifetime supply of strawberries. “You want to help me.”

“If you need it.” Chad shrugged again. “You don’t have to tell Ben. Or you can tell Ben. Whatever.” He looked back at his watch. “I really have to go, though.”

“Okay,” Mal said, which was enough of a dismissal for Chad, who power walked away from the situation to make up for lost time. He may not have gotten the reward food, but he _had_ gotten Audrey’s gift and helped out a pretty damsel and those two things were good enough accomplishments for that day. At the very least, it would bolster him through sucking at his private mid-term exam. 

Sometimes, it was the little things you had to hold onto.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Hey.”

Chad tried not to be surprised when Mal pulled up beside him when he was walking out of the library, armed with a handful of books and a folder of worksheets that confirmed he was still, in fact, dumb.

“Um.” It took Chad a few precious moments to remember the correct way to respond to one of his peers. “…hello.”

Mal kept her gaze steadily ahead, acting as though it were mere coincidence that they were walking together. “They liked the cognac.”

It took Chad a few seconds _more_ to realize what she was referring to, the day’s exhaustion catching up to him with a relentless pull, worsened by the fact that he still had a lot of studying to do when he got back to his room. “That’s good,” he said eventually. “I’m glad.”

“Ben was proud of me,” Mal continued. “For being so _thoughtful_.”

“Well, it was a thoughtful present,” Chad said. “Classy and unique.” 

Lonnie thought so, and apparently, so did Ben. 

Honestly, Chad was relieved that he had actually managed to give someone good advice. He’d wanted to help Mal, but at the back of his mind there had been the constant fear that his perpetual tendency to fuck things up would somehow rub off on her. 

Thankfully, it hadn’t.

Mal was quiet for a moment, and then she finally turned to face him. “Did you mean what you said, about helping me?”

“Of course,” Chad’s mouth said before he could work through his surprise, desperate to be helpful despite being unqualified to do so. “I mean, if I can. I’m not always great at this stuff.”

As his grandfather liked to remind him. But Chad _tried_.

“You’re good enough for me,” Mal declared, likely unaware of the multitude of better options that were available to her. “Here.” She passed over her phone. “Gimme your number. You’re going to be my royal-person guru since Ben and Evie are so busy.”

“O…kay,” Chad said, numbly accepting her phone as per her request. Were he in Mal’s shoes, he definitely would have turned to Ben and Evie first, but… “You could always ask Ruby,” he said as he created a new contact. “She’s good at this stuff too-”

“Nope,” Mal interrupted, deftly reclaiming her phone before motioning for Chad to hand over his. She snatched it from his hand as soon as he’d retrieved it, and he panicked for a few seconds thinking she was going to drop it (Audrey did that sometimes, to test his reflexes), before he realized she was inputting _her_ number into his phone. 

Oh. He was getting the number of Ben’s girlfriend. But that wasn’t a big deal, obviously, because she was dating _Ben_.

“There,” she said after taking a selfie for her contact photo. “I’ll text you later so we can meet up tomorrow. We’ve got a visit in fucking Ulstead this weekend and Ben keeps thinking everything will be fine but Ben is… wildly optimistic.”

“It will be okay,” Chad offered, and then, when she shot him an unimpressed look, he amended with, “It will be okay, _after_ we make a plan.” Plans were great, they offered guidance when you felt lost in the world. Chad made plans for everything just in case; they made him feel better. “I’ve been to Ulstead plenty of times. Things will be tricky-” Because King Phillip’s parents – well, his _mother_ – could be a bit… intense. “-but you’re Ben’s girlfriend, which means they have to offer you a certain level of respect or else they risk slighting the crown.”

Which they did not want. Other kingdoms might look down on them, might give them unfavorable trade deals. 

“Huh.” Mal looked like she hadn’t considered that. “Great. I can… I can work with that.” After a beat, she amended, “ _We_ can work with that. Tomorrow.”

With that, she started walking away, leaving Chad with his armful of books and a phone that showed a picture of Mal smiling, which he found surprisingly… touching? It was nice. She’d done it for him.

Because he was helping her, but _still_ , it counted. 

He decided it counted.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“What’s this?” Chad asked, holding up one of the flashcards from his first etiquette class that he had held onto out of the stubborn paranoia that his dumb brain would forget everything. Every once and a while he liked to go through them to confirm he still knew what was right.

Mal looked up from where she was slathering another layer of baby blue nail polish onto Chad’s toes to squint at the card. “That’s the…butter spreader.”

“Right.” Chad grinned. Mal was doing way better than when they’d first started this lesson. He found that giving her something to occupy her hands helped her focus more on the flashcards. “Where does it go?”

“On the bread plate,” Mal replied, not a second of hesitation. “And that goes… up and to the left of your plate-plate.”

“Yep!” Chad moved onto the next flashcard. “What’s this?”

“That’s the cocktail fork,” Mal settled on after a moment. “It’s the only fork that goes on the right of the plate, and its only used for dumb things, like shrimp and olives and whatever.”

“Just use it whenever Ben does,” Chad advised, flipping to the next card. “Honestly, most people don’t use it. It’s just sort of there for the _prestige_.”

Mal scrunched her nose, making her sort of look like a bunny. “Stupid,” she muttered under her breath. “Who even needs this much silverware anyway?”

“Old people,” Chad replied sagely, and it was sort of worth it to get a surprised laugh from Mal, even though he’d spoken the truth. “Seriously, this information is mostly good for winning over the older dignitaries – retired Kings and Queens, the Dukes and Earls. Our classmates’ grandparents, basically. They appreciate someone who can respect formal decorum because it shows extra consideration – that you were willing to go the extra mile to determine which is the white wine glass and which is the red wine glass, despite being underage.” He flipped to the next card. “They’ll probably give you some anyway – it doesn’t taste very good so just take small sips whenever they’re looking and try not to make a face.”

Chad had only become good at maintaining a poker face due to his grandfather’s oppressive presence, otherwise he would probably still be making faces to this day. He didn’t really like wine, or the smell of it that seemed to linger on his dad sometimes.

“ _Ugh_ ,” Mal sighed, head shifting lazily to the side as she switched out her sparkly polish for a clear coat. “Will it even matter if they like me?”

“Sure, it will.” Having other royals like you was sort of the name of the game. “You’re pretty much the face of the Isle kids. If you can get them to like you, then they’d probably be more accepting of any Isle policy changes you want to make, or like, support you when you guys bring more kids over.”

Mal paused her efforts to unscrew the clear polish to stare at Chad. “You think we’re bringing more kids over?”

“Well, aren’t you?” That seemed like the obvious move. “I mean- _they_ haven’t committed any crimes to warrant being imprisoned, and you guys all turned out okay, so bringing more Isle kids over seems like the next logical conclusion.” He held up a new notecard. “What’s this?”

“Gonna need to take a time out from the place setting stuff,” Mal said, straightening up out of her hunched position. “So what, now you’ve made this like- _huge_ one-eighty regarding isle kids?”

“It’s not a one eighty.” Chad scrunched his nose, not understanding the question. “No one even knew there were villain kids on the Isle until Ben brought you over, so of course we thought you’d be evil ‘cuz- you know, you were surrounded by villains all the time.” He set his notecards to the side so he could give her his full attention. “But you’ve already proven that you’re just kids that were dealing with a shitty situation, so it makes sense to help the other kids that are in a similar situation get out where they can make their own choices.” Chad thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. “Sure, they might choose to be bad, but like you guys, they deserve that choice, so…” He picked up the notecards again. “Is the time out over now?”

Before Mal had a chance to reply, there was the sound of the dorm window unlocking, and then a second later, Jay was climbing onto the window seat.

“Hey,” he greeted distractedly as he relocked the window. “Ben’s stuck in another council meeting, so I was thinking we could sneak him some dinner-” He paused when he saw Chad and Mal sitting on the floor near the foot of her bed. “…what the hell.”

“Is it almost dinner time?” Chad asked in an effort to stave off his own panic, because Jay still sort of intimidated him on a basic level. “Maybe we should cut this short.”

“Are you- are you friends with _Chad_?” Jay continued as though he hadn’t heard the blond, his attention entirely on Mal.

“ _No_ ,” Mal pressed with a roll of her eyes. “I’m just… deferring to his expertise. So I can learn this etiquette shit.”

“It seems tedious, but it’s actually super helpful,” Chad offered, though he was pretty sure Jay was going to ignore him again.

“What _the hell_ ,” Jay repeated, staring down Mal. “How desperate do you have to be to study with _Chad_? That guy fails everything.”

Chad shrunk in on himself, but didn’t try to deny it, because what Jay had said was technically true. It was a wonder Chad got through all his classes.

“I compared his notecards to the dumb book Ben gave me,” Mal sniffed, tilting her head in a sort of haughty way that Audrey had mastered years ago. “They match up.”

“But _Chad?_ ” Jay pressed. “Why not Evie? Evie knows this stuff, and she’s _Evie_.”

“I didn’t ask your opinion, _Jay_ ,” Mal snapped, seeming close to throwing one of her bottles of nail polish at the other teen. It was nice that she was defending Chad, even though that mostly seemed to be on the principle of her choices getting questioned rather than her desire to defend Chad’s character. Still, it was nice. “And Evie’s got her own shit to do. Chad offered-”

“He probably wants something from you,” Jay pointed out. “Like your homework, or something.”

“Okay,” Chad decided to speak up. “To be fair, I didn’t think Evie would actually _do_ it.” And if she did, he didn’t expect to get a good grade, which he hadn’t, even _with_ a magic mirror. 

Maybe magic mirrors just weren’t good at chemistry. 

“Yeah, but you didn’t protest when she _did_ , did you?” Jay shot back, brows furrowed in an unimpressed glare. “And then you turned her in-”

“She was cheating,” Chad protested.

“ _You_ were cheating.”

“Yes,” Chad agreed. “Which was why I _also_ got in trouble.”

“ _Enough_ ,” Mal snapped, making the other two fall into silence. “Jay, go ahead and sneak food into Ben’s room for when he comes out of the council meeting.”

Jay blinked in surprise. “But-”

“And then _you_ can cuddle him while I fucking review this dumb shit with the _one person_ that offered to help me,” she continued, seeming thoroughly done with the ordeal.

Jay looked like he was about to protest, but then thought better of it, letting his shoulders slump with a sigh. “Whatever.”

That was all he said before he slipped back out the window, the pane locking behind him with a few quiet _clicks_.

There was a tense silence, and then Mal went back to unscrewing her nail polish. “…that’s a soup spoon,” she muttered, and it took Chad a few seconds to realize she was referring to his notecard. “It goes to the right, outside the knives.”

“That it does,” Chad agreed moving onto the next card. “Now this-”

“Chad?” Mal interrupted, her voice cool as ice as she began to paint the clear coat onto his nails.

A tiny swirl of anxiety built in Chad’s stomach. “Yes, Mal?”

“If you ever take advantage of my friends again, I’ll turn you into a damn lizard too.”

Chad swallowed. He did not, for one second, doubt her. “Yes, Mal.”

“Okay.” And that, apparently, seemed to be that. “…is that the water goblet?”

“Yep,” Chad said, and then they moved on, because they were just two associates making a knowledge business transaction. And there was nothing to look into _there_.

Nothing at all.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“I’m _onto_ you.”

Chad would like to pretend he wasn’t terrified when Jay cornered him after Swords and Shield’s practice, but he was, because Jay was very muscular and menacing when he wanted to be and Chad was just _Chad_ , who for some reason was really good at swinging a sword but had none of the courage to back up that battle adrenaline when he was off the fencing court. 

“…what?” Chad asked after a few seconds when Jay didn’t say anything else, content to stare Chad down with that squinty eyed look of his.

“I’m onto you,” Jay repeated, taking a step towards Chad that the blond appropriately countered. “You’re trying to suck up to Mal.”

“Um…no?” Chad clutched his backpack closer to his chest like a shield, then realized what he was doing and swung it onto his shoulder, because he was a _prince_. “Mal needed help-”

“You want an in with Ben,” Jay continued, shoving a finger against Chad’s chest. “And you figure if you’re nice to Mal, she’ll put a good word in with him.”

“I don’t- I don’t want that,” Chad stuttered. “Obviously, I’m not _against_ that, because Ben’s king, but Mal needed help and she asked _-_ ”

“So you’ll just help anyone that asks you?” Jay pressed, quirking a brow at him. “That’s all it takes?”

“Um…” Well, seeing as no one besides Mal or Audrey ever asked Chad for anything… “Yes?”

Jay stared at him for a long, hard moment, emanating enough intensity that Chad wanted to shrink back against the lockers and maybe out of existence entirely.

“Okay,” Jay declared after a beat. “I want you to do my homework.”

“But.” Chad frowned. “That’s…”

“Just once,” Jay said with a roll of his eyes. “To make up for what you did to Evie.”

“Shouldn’t I be doing Evie’s homework, then?”

Jay shot him an unimpressed look. “You gonna help or what?”

Chad sighed. He supposed he really did owe it to one of them for his past behavior. He never should have asked Evie to do his homework, he was just- he’d been desperate. 

It was no excuse, though.

“…okay,” Chad said, fidgeting with the strap of his backpack. “I’ll um… come to your room later to work on it.”

“That you will,” Jay said, narrowing his eyes at Chad with a look of subtle warning before strolling away as though he’d never been there.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“How’d you do it?” Jay said, crashing one of Chad’s study sessions with Mal while the future Lady of the Court glared at him, cradling her new sketchbook in her hands while she kept herself busy drawing who knew what while Chad quizzed her.

“Um…” Chad wished Jay was talking to Mal, but the son of Jafar was crossing to where Chad was sitting at Mal’s desk, doing that looming thing again. “Do what?”

“The _homework_ ,” Jay pressed, crossing his arms with a huff. “I watched you do it, I took it from you as soon as it was done, and yet _somehow_ I got a perfect score.”

“You did?” Chad perked up just as he saw Mal do the same across the room. “That’s great!”

“No, it’s nonsense,” Jay insisted. “You always get horrible grades! How did you do well for me?”

“What are you talking about?” Mal asked, no longer content with being ignored. “Did you have him do homework for you, _Jay_?”

“It was a test,” Jay said, waving her off. “Only I don’t know what the results are, because he got a _perfect_ score.”

“Maybe I lost my testing anxiety because I was answering as you,” Chad offered. “Are we even, now?”

“ _Gah!_ ” was Jay’s response, and then he threw himself onto Evie’s bed in a dramatic flop. 

“You stupid shit,” Mal said, and it took Chad a moment to realize she was talking to Jay instead of, you know, _him_. “I can take care of myself, Jay. He’s not manipulating me.”

“I didn’t say that,” Jay mumbled into Evie’s pink comforter.

“No, you had to go be a macho dipshit and try to _uncover the truth_ for yourself behind my back,” Mal snapped, snatching up one of the drawings she had ripped out and crumpled into a ball and chucking it at his head.

Chad made a note of where it landed – he liked to collect Mal’s reject drawings. He wasn’t sure what about them made them unworthy of staying in the sketchbook – they were all pretty to him.

“Don’t get mad at me for trying to watch your back,” Jay grumbled, turning his head to look at her. “That’s like, my job-”

“Oh, _is it_ , now?” Mal huffed, the beginnings of a real argument bubbling up. “And what else is your job?”

“Guys,” Chad cut in, somewhat beseechingly. “It’s okay. I’m not upset Jay tested me and Mal, it’s cool that you’ve got someone who’s so dedicated to keeping you safe.” Chad would give almost anything to have someone care for him that much. The closest he had was Audrey, and he still wasn’t worthy of her. “Please don’t fight anymore.”

There was a beat, and then Jay and Mal shared an unreadable expression. 

“He says shit like _that_ ,” Mal exclaimed, gesturing to Chad with a broad sweep of her arm. “And you think he’s evil?”

“Fine,” Jay huffed. “Sorry I didn’t bring my concerns to you directly.”

“Damn straight, you are,” Mal huffed with a toss of her hair. “Now, come rub my shoulders. Or better yet, rub Chad’s for making him do your _homework_.”

Chad flushed at the thought of Jay touching him – not that the other teen would want to, he was definitely going to say no, but like- Jay was super strong and Chad wondered what his shoulder rubs would feel like.

“It’s okay,” he rushed to say, holding his notecards higher in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. “It was only fair, after what I did to Evie.”

“No,” Jay said with a strange kind of tone as he slid off Evie’s bed. “I think Mal’s right. You definitely earned a shoulder rub.”

“ _Um_.” And that was all Chad got to say about it before Jay was walking behind the back of his chair, setting his hands on Chad’s shoulders and _squeezing_.

Chad’s attempts to help Mal review were then rife with stutters, his face burning uncomfortably hot because Jay was _touching_ him and it also felt _nice_ and he wanted this to last forever.

Mal hummed when they’d finally gotten through the pile more or less successfully, a smile tugging at her lips. “If we wanna be real thorough, you should lie down on my bed,” she explained, sliding off the purple comforter. “That way we can get your lower back.”

“That’s um- alright,” Chad said, but Jay was already tugging him up, grinning instead of smirking or glaring, which was very foreign and new and something Chad appreciated very much. 

“We insist.” Jay grinned, and then he was guiding Chad onto his stomach while _both_ of them worked on his back, Mal even going so far as to run a hand up under his shirt and it felt _really_ nice.

By the time they were finished, Chad was a pile of mush, cheeks burning so bright he thought they’d stay red forever, and there was an uncomfortable warmth beginning to pool between his legs that Chad would need to talk down real soon for fear of Jay and Mal noticing and getting the wrong idea. 

“Good rewards for a good boy,” Mal said, petting a hand through Chad’s curls, and she couldn’t know what that meant for him, that someone thought he was _good_ , but he clung to the words with both hands, desperate and perpetually reaching for more.

It was all he had. It was all he ever had.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“I feel like such a phony sometimes,” Mal groaned, letting her head fall back against the wall of the school’s dance studio as they took a break from their ballroom lessons.

“Why?” Chad asked, nudging her water bottle closer in the hopes that she might actually hydrate. Hydration was important, but Mal seemed to forget that sometimes. She may have had access to drinkable water on the Isle, but she’d had to ration it. Which was just one of the many horrible things Chad had learned about the place over the course of their tutelage.

“ _Ben_ ,” Mal huffed, the way she always seemed to when she was annoyed. “He’s so perfect and caring and _nice_ , and then he’ll look at me like I can hang the moon when I really fucking can’t.” Her perfectly manicured nails – courtesy of Evie – curled into fists against her knees. “I hate it. I feel like I’m always a second away from failing him. From making him look bad.”

“Have you thought about telling him that?” Chad didn’t have a boyfriend- or girlfriend, rather, but he was pretty sure you were supposed to share things with them. “You’re one of Ben’s favorite people. If you were feeling bad, he’d want to know.”

“But he’s so _happy_ ,” Mal groaned, flopping over until she was slumped against Chad’s shoulder. “Every time I get some of this shit right, it’s like I’m super woman or something, like I’m the crowning hope of the Isle, showing everyone how _good_ we can be.” She sighed. “It’s a lot of pressure, sometimes I feel like I’m going to explode from it.”

“Ben’s under a lot of pressure too,” Chad pointed out. “If anyone understood where you’re coming from, it’d be him. You should consider giving him a chance.”

“ _Or_ ,” Mal said with a dramatic sweep of her finger. “I could keep doing what we’re doing and study really hard to _ace this shit_.”

“You could also do that,” Chad hummed, taking a sip of his water. “And in the meantime, I’m happy to listen to your venting if you need it.”

Mal straightened up with a slow stretch, finally grabbing her water bottle, even if she kept it cradled between her hands instead of drinking from it. “How do you deal with this?” she asked, toying with the top of the bottle. “All the studying and practices and training? You have like, _way_ more extra studies than anyone else I know.”

He had them because he was dumb and had a tendency to fall behind otherwise, but Chad knew Mal hadn’t actually meant the comment maliciously. She just tended to be blunt, and Mal knew about his extra studies because they had to work around them to plan her study sessions.

Chad shrugged. “I don’t know,” he replied honestly. “I just… do.” He frowned, wishing he had a better answer. “I’ve been dealing with this stuff all my life, though, so maybe I’m just used to it, like how you’re used to being on guard all the time.”

Mal nodded, seeming to appreciate the comment, before standing up with a stretch. “Maybe,” she allowed, finally taking a swig of her water before setting the bottle down. “Now, let’s get back to dancing before Jay crashes the party and becomes a giant nuisance.”

Chad made a face. “Why would Jay want to join our dance session?”

Mal deigned him with one of those mischievous smiles, like she was amused by some sort of secret she couldn’t tell him. “Because he’s a mess,” she explained vaguely.

For the sake of time management, Chad decided to abandon that line of inquiry and set his own bottle to the side, climbing to his feet in a smooth motion.

“Okay,” he said, crossing back towards the center of the room. “So we had just gotten to the Bolero from Avalor, right?”

“ _Right_ ,” Mal groaned. “How could I forget the _Bolero_?”

“Positive thoughts,” Chad reminded her. “You can do this; you freestyle all the time.”

“Freestyle and ballroom dancing are two different things,” she reminded him with a pout.

“Maybe.” Chad shrugged. “But some stuff transfers over. Artistry. Confidence.”

“Coordination?” Mal offered with a wag of her brows. “Fine, save your pep talk. Let’s _Bolero_.”

-:-:-:-:-:-

“But _which_ one, though?” Mal asked, holding up two of her newest dresses for Jay and Chad’s approval. “Which one seems more Auradon-y? I don’t want to go in there looking like an Isle kid.”

“Well um- technically the Isle _is_ part of Auradon,” Chad said, doing his best to pretend he wasn’t in Mal’s walk-in closet surrounded by Mal’s clothes because he hadn’t even been in _Audrey’_ closet and he was pretty sure this was inappropriate somehow. “So either way you would look ‘Auradon-y’.” 

Mal took a moment to stare at him, the same way she did whenever Chad said something particularly out of left field for her, and she would either think it was stupid or amazing, and usually she thought it was amazing even though it was anything but.

“Um…” Chad cleared his throat. “The lavender one?”

“With your boots,” Jay added, trying to be helpful.

Mal blew a strand of hair out of her face. “You say that about all the outfits.”

“Well, your boots go with all your outfits.”

“They do not, but I appreciate your enthusiasm,” she said sagely. “Okay, outfit decided. You know what this deserves?”

“Um… a break?” Chad offered. He was beginning to recognize that anytime Mal asked that particular question there were only three answers, and he was getting better at guessing when each was used.

“A reward!” Mal countered, but she was smiling, which meant she wasn’t annoyed. “Chad deserves a reward for actually being _helpful_.”

“We should give him a massage,” Jay cut in instead of protesting. “I think I’ll do his legs this time.”

“That isn’t necessary,” Chad insisted, cheeks flooding with warmth because the last time Jay had done that he’d touched Chad’s _butt_ and he was pretty sure it was on accident but also Chad had thought about it probably way too much.

“My room, my rules,” Mal declared in her sagely way. “Now take off your shirt. Evie wants me to test out a new lotion for her and you’re my guinea pig.”

“Maybe he should take off his pants too,” Jay hummed, and despite his embarrassment, Chad surrendered to their care, mostly boggled that they would extend the effort.

It was weird.

Nice, but weird.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“ _Chad_ ,” Mal’s voice was sharp when it cut through the haze of Chad’s exhaustion, tone pointed enough that Chad was pretty sure that hadn’t been the first time she’d said his name. 

It made him force his eyes open, which had been threatening to flutter shut as he moved to the next flashcard. “Sorry,” he murmured, rubbing at his eyes with the heel of his palm. “I had to stay up late last night.”

More accurately, he had stayed up until early morning studying, feeling so sure that he had nailed things this time, and the cumulative weariness that resulted from that lack of sleep had been following him around all day. 

Still, a commitment was a commitment, and Chad wasn’t going to cut out on Mal because he was a little sleepy.

The lady-to-be gave him an exasperated look, and he was about to apologize again, when she said, “Just take a nap already.”

“…what?”

He couldn’t take a nap, they were _studying_.

“You’re obviously tired,” Mal continued, gathering up his flashcards before he could say anything about it. “Lie down on my bed and I’ll review these myself. I’ll wake you up later and ask you any questions I have then.”

“But…” Chad frowned, following her prompts and nudges on auto-pilot while he tried to reason out her consideration. “I’m supposed to be helping you.”

“And you have,” Mal said as she tugged Chad towards her bed, ignoring his protests until she more or less shoved him down onto it. “And you _will_ , so just relax. You’ve earned this.”

She plopped herself down beside him before he could protest further, setting her back against her headboard while she prodded him onto her pillows. They were soft – softer than the things his grandfather had traded out in his room, and he lost a moment reveling in that. 

“I’ll wake you up later,” Mal repeated, sealing his fate by running a careful hand through his curls, for no other reason than to comfort him, or because she could, and it was such a small thing that Chad wanted to weep. 

Instead, he allowed himself to turn into it, eyes drifting shut against his will.

“Okay,” he mumbled, darkness closing in slowly. “But make it… t-thirty minutes at… most…”

“Chad,” Mal huffed. “I’ve _got_ this.”

That was the last he heard before sleep claimed him, but those delicate fingers were still carding through his hair, and he clung to that. Like the greedy little creature he was, he _clung_.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“…you guys do this often?”

Chad frowned when Ben’s voice brushed against his awareness, the king being so far removed from his usual thoughts that the prospect of thinking about him by accident seemed distinctly _weird_. 

Maybe he was hallucinating Ben because he’d been hanging out with Mal too much.

“Sure,” Mal sniffed – and that was her defensive tone, back in the beginning when she hadn’t known something but hadn’t wanted to be called out on it despite the idea of her knowing it would be both bizarre and unfair.

“They usually just study.” That was Jay, now – what was Jay doing in Chad’s dream? “This is the first Mal has enforced naptime.”

“Well he _needed_ it,” Mal groused, overprotective and grumpy. It was a cute combination. Chad was glad his mind had invented it. “Stupid guy runs himself into the ground and refuses to take time for himself.”

“Yeah,” Jay drawled. “That doesn’t sound like anyone _else_ I know.”

There was a small pause in which they likely glared at each other, and Chad slowly but surely came to realize he was not, in fact, dreaming. 

He was still on Mal’s bed, comfortable and soft and a luxury, but in addition to Mal’s presence beside him there was someone else at his back, stretched out on the bed close but not touching. 

It was… Jay? Why would Jay be there? Was he sleeping too?

“Okay.” That was Ben again, and Chad realized that the king must be standing nearby, must have seen Chad on his _girlfriend’s_ _bed_. “I guess I just didn’t realize you guys were friends.”

“They’re not,” Jay hummed, seeming amused by this, unaware of the way Chad’s heart squeezed. “They’re _associates_.”

“Fuck off, Jay,” Mal hissed, but she pointedly kept her volume down, so as not to wake Chad. 

So they were associates, but at least they were _considerate_ associates. That was better than nothing.

Chad felt Mal shift beside him, likely to turn back towards Ben. “I decided Chad’s not that bad. He owned up to being an asshole-” Sort of? “-and now he supports us. So far he’s been pretty helpful.”

“Just helpful?” Ben prompted, tone difficult to place. “Nothing else?”

There was a pause. “Well…” Mal sighed. “What was that shit you were saying about friendship?”

“That you can never have too many friends?” Ben offered, which seemed like a very Ben thing to say, wisdom that could have been passed onto him from his mom.

“Right,” Mal hummed. “It’s like that.”

“Except you’re not _friends_ ,” Jay sang, voice taunting. 

“Fuck _off_ , Jay,” Mal snapped, leaning over, likely to take a swipe at his head. 

Chad was sure it was an amusing sight.

“Okay.” Ben sounded… relieved? Maybe fond. Chad couldn’t tell. “Okay. Well, I’m glad you found a new associate, Mal.”

“ _Thank you_ ,” Mal whispered, curling a hand through Chad’s hair. “Now, not to be rude, but like, if you wake him up I will straight up _spell_ you, so-”

“I’m going,” Ben said in that amused tone he got sometimes, likely holding up both hands in surrender. “See you guys at breakfast?”

“Sure thing,” Mal said, seeming more relaxed than she had been before. It was a wonder what proper Ben-time could do for her.

“Bye, Ben,” Jay offered in an exaggerated whisper, and there was another shift of weight while Mal smacked at his head again. 

“ _Shut up_ ,” Mal hissed as Ben exited the room. “Or I will revoke your cuddling privileges.”

“Oh, _nooo_ ,” Jay laughed, pressing closer until he wrapped an arm around Chad’s waist. His _waist_ , and then he was nuzzling close to Chad’s back like he belonged there.

That was – okay, Chad had already committed to pretending to be asleep out of social awkwardness so he’d just rest through this too. Maybe Jay will pull back in ten minutes. 

Yeah, that was a good plan.

Chad allowed himself to relax, drifting back towards unconsciousness with Mal’s hand in his hair- confident that the entire exchange actually was a fever dream after all. His mind had come up with stranger scenarios in a bid to stave off loneliness. Why not do this too?

Yeah, that was it. No need to look any deeper.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“So.”

How _Ben_ had managed to sneak up on him, Chad did not know. Chad spent a lot of time pretending he and Ben were friends when he knew for a fact they weren’t friends and having the king initiate a conversation with him _outside_ of class was sort of overwhelming.

Thankfully, Chad was tired, so he just sort of blinked up from the energy bar he had half-shoved in his mouth as he made his way to the library this time, where his tutor would be waiting in one of the private study rooms.

Ben’s perfectly composed smile greeted him, the king looking rested with clothes that were unwrinkled, seeming _refreshed_ after Tourney practice where Chad just sort of looked half-damp and all strung out.

“You’ve been helping Mal?” Ben continued brightly upon seeing that he had Chad’s attention.

Chad swallowed his mouthful of energy bar before reluctantly tucking the rest of it into his pocket, knowing full well he wouldn’t be able to finish this conversation _and_ his snack before having to be at the library. “…yes.”

For whatever reason, that made Ben smile wider. “That’s awesome, Chad.” The king fell in step with Chad easily, as though they had meant to do this. “I know Mal’s been a little overwhelmed playing catchup and being my girlfriend, and I’m glad she’s got someone like you to help.” He cleared his throat carefully. “Though I’ll be honest, I hadn’t expected that from you.”

Because Chad was so _dumb_. Right, yes, he got it. 

Chad shrugged. “It seemed like the right thing to do,” Chad offered, feeling relieved when he caught sight of the library in the distance. “Especially after… you know.”

“Right,” Ben hummed. “Well, I just- I wanted to thank you,” he said, _squeezing Chad’s shoulder_. That was- he had done that. On purpose. “I really appreciate it. And hey, maybe this means we can hang out more.”

Or hang out _at all_.

Chad found the entire prospect overwhelming. So he let his mouth stumble through an answer. “…okay, Ben.”

The king brightened up again. It was _weird_. “Great! I’ll get your number from Mal.” He started walking away before Chad could protest, because apparently that was a thing he wanted to do? Out of self-preservation, probably, because Chad was so _dumb_. “Bye, Chad!”

“…bye, Ben,” Chad murmured, watching the king’s retreating back for far too long, until he realized he was almost late for his study session.

Manners and panic be damned, Chad crammed the rest of his energy bar into his mouth before throwing away the wrapper, taking the library stairs two at a time in a quiet but efficient bid to save time. He chose to focus on that instead of Ben’s offer of friendship. He’d probably been just networking since he thought Chad was going to be king one day. And hell, he even _might_ be so- right. Ben was just being smart.

Because, unlike Chad, he was a _smart_ guy.

It was no small wonder that he’d been chosen to be king of the United States of Auradon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thank you guys so much for the feedback!! I was nervous about this story because the setup was so odd, so I’m very glad you’re enjoying it so far! Going forward, the chapters will mostly be a mix of both the past and the future, these first two mostly focused on setting the stage for the two different points we’ll be jumping between :)
> 
> Story notes: 
> 
> Props to Google for educating me on Chinese gifts to the host. I sort of winged what would be appropriate for high ranking military officials. Double props to reddit for supplying the very long name of the alcoholic beverage that is supposedly specific to France – the place Central Auradon is based on. I honestly have no idea if I used the name right, I’m not one that is much for alcohol, but it certainly did seem impressive :) 
> 
> For the record, I totally invented the title ‘Senior Selection Adviser’. If that is, in fact, a real thing, my subconscious is a wizard ;P
> 
> I looked up a fancy table place setting diagram for reference and tried to use the most unique looking silverware/glasses to reference in order to allow Mal to easily identify them. Do I personally have something against shrimp? Yes, yes I do, but that’s just me ;) 
> 
> Real talk – I just googled ‘signature dances of Spain’, as Avalor is based on real-world Spain, and found the Bolero (which also originated in Cuba). It’s a partner dance that has apparently fallen out of fashion, but I thought it would work for the purposes of this scene.
> 
> The ‘you know’ from the Ben-Chad scene in this instance was the chaos that was Parents’ Day
> 
> Until next time :)


	3. Sixteen Months Ago

-:-:-:-:-:-

_Present Day_

-:-:-:-:-:-

It was with great reluctance that Chad woke up from what had to be the greatest sleep of his life. 

Did _all_ cats feel this rested? Or did his brain just adapt better to a cat body than a human one? Was it the company or the room or the bed? Chad didn’t know, but he was willing to give his dumb cat body a point in the positives’ column for that particular bout of beauty sleep. He twisted happily on Gil’s chest, contented to feel that broad hand loosely move to brace him, and soaked in the steady beat of Gil’s heart.

At least, until he heard a throat get cleared.

Chad cracked his eyes open to find Harry staring down at them with a look of amusement, something that only broadened when he noticed that Chad was awake.

“So you’re the reason Gil was all squirrely,” he noted with a smirk, settling on the edge of the bed so he could scratch behind Chad’s ears. Chad would protest, but – _ear scratches_. Apparently, they were quite nice. “Figures. We get invited to a fancy party and he leaves with a cat.”

“Harry…?” Gil’s eyes blinked open slowly, taking in the other teen with a smile that was mostly out of it but a hundred percent heartfelt. “Hey, you’re here.”

“Yep.” Harry grinned. “Just getting to know your new friend.”

Gil’s brows furrowed together for a moment before the implication of the words hit him, and that was all the warning Chad got before Gil launched himself into the sitting position, making Chad slide into his lap with a protesting _meow_. 

“Hey, none of that now,” Harry tutted, swiping Chad and settling him in _his_ lap before Gil could continue panicking. “I’m not mad and Uma sure as hell isn’t going to be.”

Harry was touching him, _petting_ him. Harry, the guy that had laughed at Chad and wore eyeliner and had a whole crew of people who were his friends and he kept _touching_ Chad, rubbing his back all the way down to his tail – which translated to the upper curve of Chad’s – you know, _butt_ – but he was also scratching and careful and Chad was confused as to whether he should accept this attention or protest on principle.

“Where’d ye find him anyway?” Harry asked, oblivious to Chad’s dilemma. He scratched _something_ that made Chad roll onto his back before he could think about it, and then the guy was scratching Chad’s _stomach_ – a thing that did not happen.

“…in the garden,” Gil said, still seeming a bit wary but reaching out to scratch Chad nonetheless, until there were two calloused, giant hands caressing him that somehow translated into a basic cat massage. “I um… was getting some air and he found me, so I brought him here and we watched a movie.”

Before he could say anything else, Uma strolled into the room, wearing an oversized Auradon dressing robe that was likely intended for Harry. She paused when she drew closer to the bed, then let a smile spread across her face, the slight teen settling in next to Harry as she scratched behind Chad’s ears.

Because he was a cat. _Because he was a cat_.

“So this was what all the hubbub was about, huh?” she asked – and Chad was grateful she’d gone for his head because he wasn’t sure he could handle much more touching. It was overwhelming to have most of his body being doted on in some way, to the point where he would likely start shivering if he wasn’t purring instead. “Gil-”

“Please don’t make me send him away,” Gil pressed, worry clear in his tone. “His name is Shadow and he’s really smart-”

“ _Gil_ ,” Uma interrupted more pointedly. “I was going to ask if you’d fed him.”

There was a slight pause before realization flashed across Gil’s face. “Oh _no_ ,” he said – literally said, batting Harry and Uma’s hands away so he could scoop Chad up and hold him close. “Sorry. I was supposed to sneak down and get him something after our movie.”

“Gil, sweetheart, it’s fine,” Uma soothed, running a hand through Gil’s loose curls. She was so nice to him. Of course she was, it was _Gil_ , but- “We’ll just feed him now.”

“It’s _not_ fine,” Gil sniffed, on his way to getting truly worked up. “I’m supposed to take care of him, and I _forgot_.”

“Because you are human.” She said it kindly, with a gentle certainty that made Chad feel a bit listless, as he hadn’t been offered anything like it since- well, since the last time he’d forced that obligation on someone, which hadn’t been fair, but they’d helped regardless. “But now Harry and I will help you, okay? And we’ll _all_ take care of Shadow, like a team.”

“Any idea if the Auradon fuddy duddies will let us keep ‘im?” Harry asked, slouching against Gil’s shoulder so he could watch Chad receive careful pets.

“Doesn’t matter,” Uma scoffed with a roll of her eyes. “We’re not asking. Now, go contact that butler Ben told us about and ask for a can of tuna and a can opener. If he asks, we want a pre-breakfast snack. Imply that it’s like, an Isle delicacy or whatever – they always get weird when we mention that shit.”

“You got it, Captain,” Harry said with a lazy salute, and then he pressed a kiss to Gil’s cheek, as easy as that, before tickling under Chad’s chin and vacating the bed altogether.

“So… I can keep him?” Gil pressed, desperate for clarification that he could hold onto. 

Chad could sympathize.

Uma hummed. “He’s part of the crew now, isn’t he? And crew stays together.”

“Right.” Gil grinned, hugging Chad close.

Chad didn’t mind even though he hadn’t done anything and yet he was _crew_ , he was a part of something and-

And if that didn’t get him love, he didn’t know _what_ did.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Due to a systematic and random loss and gain of privileges at his grandfather’s hand, Chad was accustomed to eating room temperature canned food. Was it the greatest thing in the world? No, but he would take cool canned stew over nothing any day, so he’d learned to live with it. 

That said, the can of tuna that was offered to him appealed to his cat senses so strongly that it may as well have been a seven-course _feast_. The smell of fish seemed to caress his nostrils in a delightful wave that left his mouth watering, until he descended upon the tuna-y goodness with less grace than intended. Not that Gil or the others seemed to care, Gil content to crouch beside Chad and scratch the top of his head while he gobbled down chunks of tuna, trying not to overwhelm himself with the delicious flavor. _Wow_ , few things tasted this good as a human. The chocolate chip cookies they sometimes served in the school dining hall seemed close – not that Chad was allowed to have them. But when he _could_ , they were sort of like this. 

Uma chuckled. “Hungry fellow, aren’t you?”

“Sorry, Shadow,” Gil apologized, yet again. “I’m sorry I forgot.”

As he had ever other time he apologized, Chad pulled away from his meal to nuzzle against Gil’s hand, doing his best to let the blond know it was okay. Maybe if he did it enough times, Gil would finally believe him. 

And also love him. That was important.

“Huh,” Harry mused. “He’s a good little cat, isn’t he?”

“Good choice of crewmate,” Uma declared, saying those magic words that made Chad feel all warm again. It was only because she didn’t know who he was, but _still_. “Maybe we can ask princess to make him a bandana or something-”

Further conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door, all three of the pirates turning to face the front of the suite. 

“ _Good morning_ ,” Queen Belle chirped, her voice carrying through the door. It was weird to be addressed by the former queen, though likely weirder for Uma’s crew, who shared concerned looks with each other before turning back towards the door. “ _Are you three awake? I’d like to speak with you_.”

Speak with them, as in, she was requesting an audience and they couldn’t very well say _no_ -

Before Chad could think about it, he tilted his head down and started pushing his can of tuna until he was safely under a couch, curling up around his prize and hoping the shadows would hide him.

“Um…” Uma cleared her throat. “Yeah, we’re up you’re uh… ladyship.”

There was a beat before Chad heard the door open, Duchess Belle gliding into the space on silent footsteps and what was likely perfect posture.

“What can we do for you?” Uma asked, adopting a confident swagger to deal with an unknown situation.

“It’s more like what can I do for _you_ ,” the duchess laughed. “Cogsworth told me about your request for tuna.”

Chad could _feel_ Uma tense, saw Gil’s feet shift uneasily. “Right,” the captain said. “It’s a delicacy.”

“I don’t doubt that,” the queen hummed. “But I was wondering if this had anything to do with the stray cat Princess Audrey caught sight of yesterday.” There was a pause where no one said anything. “Because if it _was_ , I have this collar ready for it.” There was another beat where she must have held up the referenced collar. “This will let the servants know that your new friend is also a guest, and will grant them access to the castle without having to worry about being disturbed.” There was a jingle of jewelry where she must have lowered her hand. “I can get you some other supplies too, assuming you need them.”

Uma let out a low sigh. “And if we did need them?” 

“I’ll make the arrangements with Cogsworth,” the duchess chirped. “Is there a name for our guest? We can get tags made.”

“…Shadow,” Gil said after a moment’s hesitation. “His name’s Shadow.”

“ _Shadow_ , then.” It sounded like Duchess Belle was grinning, which was always a comforting thing. Chad had always liked it, when he saw her on the newscasts. He always wondered if his mother would have smiled like that. “That’s a lovely name, dear. We’ll have a place set for Shadow when you three are ready for breakfast.” Another clink of jewelry, and she must have passed over the collar. “That’s all I wanted to talk to you about. I’ll just get out of your hair, captain.” Another beat where she may have nodded to the others. “Gilbert. Harrison.”

“Thanks, um- your ladyship,” Gil mumbled, seeming overwhelmed.

“Think nothing of it, sweetie,” the duchess assured him, and with that, the door open and closed once more, leaving them alone again.

Chad got to work pushing his tuna back out into the open while Uma hummed. “Figures the collar would be blue and yellow.”

“It’s a very nice color scheme,” Gil offered, crossing to Chad with heavy footsteps. He had the aforementioned collar dangling from one finger as he crouched back down next to Chad, the small length of material matching Auradon’s colors, just like Uma said.

“Guess we don’t have to keep him a secret, then,” Harry mused, seeming content to watch Gil fumble to try and adjust the small collar. It took him a few tries, but eventually he managed it. Chad thought he would feel more strangled getting a collar, but the weight was actually sort of nice, and it did make him look a little less naked.

It also marked him as _owned_. Owned, like a pet would be – cherished and on his way to being loved. 

Things really were going well.

-:-:-:-:-:-

There was a chance that the amount of tuna in the can was far more than his tiny cat stomach could handle, but Chad ended up licking the thing clean anyway. He was happy to surrender to a tuna coma, Harry picking him up with a few chuckles while Gil threw away the trash.

Chad was only distantly aware of being placed on a bed, he was so happy and sated and _full_ (how long had it been since that happened? Being a cat was _awesome_ ). It took him a few blinks to realize this wasn’t Gil’s bed – but Uma and Harry’s, the two of them moving around each other as they got ready for the day. It wasn’t long before Gil bounded into the room, throwing himself down beside Chad with a smile before sliding Chad onto his chest, which was slowly becoming the prince’s favorite place to be. There was something nice about that constant body warmth, about Gil’s heart beneath his ear and the gentle rise and fall of his chest. 

“Come on,” Uma said eventually, catching Gil’s attention. “Now it’s our turn to go to breakfast.”

“ _Ugh_ ,” Harry groaned, throwing his head back in an exaggerated display of unhappiness. “Do we have to?”

“Don’t act like you don’t want to be there,” Uma chided, smacking the first mate’s arm while Gil slid off the bed, Chad cradled against his chest. “As though you’d miss a chance to make goo-goo eyes at Mal and the king.”

“True, but _Jay’s_ gonna be there,” Harry groaned again. “Checking ye and Gilly out like he’s got the right.”

Uma hummed. “If this thing’s going to work, you’re gonna have to learn to share, Hook.”

“What’s the ‘thing’?” Gil asked, voicing the question Chad had wanted to ask himself. It might be the tuna swaying his perception, but Gil didn’t seem to know what the other two were talking about.

Harry waved him off with a smirk. “Nothing ye have to worry about yet, Gil. If something _does_ happen, they’ll have to work for it. A lot.”

“Typical Hook,” Uma said, rolling her eyes. “Playing hard to get.”

For whatever reason, that made Harry puff up with pride. “I know my worth.”

They continued to trade easy conversation as they exited their suite, walking through the halls of the castle in a gathered clump. It only took them a few minutes to get to a small, private dining room, where Mal, Jay, and Ben where gathered near the floor-to-ceiling windows. There was no sign of Carlos or Evie, which was weird. Usually those four stuck together.

Ben was the first to speak up. “Good morning, Uma.” He dipped his head in a slight greeting towards each of them. “Harry. Gil. Did you sleep…” It was about then that he registered the cat curled up in Gil’s arms. “…well?”

“Is that a cat?” Mal asked before they had a chance to respond. She moved before either Jay or Ben could think to do so, drawing close to Gil so she could inspect Chad more closely. “I didn’t know you had a pet.”

“He didn’t,” Uma replied, a faint smile on her face. “He found him yesterday.”

“Huh,” Jay mused. “That must be that cat that Audrey was freaking out over.”

“That’s what we’ve heard,” Harry drawled. “Now enough yappin’; let’s eat.”

Mal rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. “Eloquent as always, Hook.” 

They settled down around the small table – round so there was equal space between them. Uma and Harry kept Gil between them as a defensive measure, probably, Chad staying curled in his lap (he was so _full_ ). Likewise, Jay and Mal kept Ben between _them_ , with Jay sitting next to Uma and Mal next to Harry. It was a nice picture, one Chad knew he shouldn’t be witnessing, but still- he had a curse to break. Sometimes that required him to eavesdrop on conversations he shouldn’t.

“You seem uneasy,” Uma noted sometime later, aiming the comment at Ben with a level of casual detachment that Chad knew for a fact was a _lie_. 

Ben blinked up from his food, as though surprised to be singled out. “Oh, it’s nothing,” he assured her, turning his attention to back towards his breakfast. “I was expecting someone else to stay the night, but they never made it to the party.”

“Was it that blond prince?” Uma asked, fingering the handle of her knife carefully. “The guy Audrey locked in the closet?”

Ben gave her another puzzled look. “Right. Prince Chad of Sardinia.” He poked at his food. “I wanted to introduce him to you guys.”

“Uh-huh,” Uma mused, eyebrows lifted in a knowing expression Chad couldn’t identify. “Anyone else you ‘wanted’ us to meet that was invited for a sleepover?”

“It was just him,” Mal cut in with an unimpressed look. 

Wait, this was it? This was the full extent of those Ben had invited to stay the summer? These guys and _Chad_? It made no sense.

“And don’t worry about it, Ben,” Mal continued. “Chad probably just got caught up like he usually does. He’ll show up later today or tomorrow all apologetic and it will be fine.”

“Blond guy blow ye off that much?” Harry asked.

For whatever reason, that seemed to ruffle Mal’s feathers. Maybe it was the implication that anyone would ignore her. “Not on _purpose_ ,” she insisted. “Chad just… gets absorbed in what he’s doing sometimes. But he’ll be here. He already RSVP’d.”

“And as we all know,” Uma began with a low chuckle. “An RSVP is a binding contract.”

“It is to _royalty_ ,” Mal sniffed, brushing a stray curl out of her face.

“Whatever,” Uma muttered, rolling her eyes. “Let’s focus on the people who _are_ here. You invited us to stay over, so here we are. Now what?”

“Well…” Ben cleared his throat. “It’s summer so… I thought we could enjoy this time together while we could-”

“Uh-huh,” Uma said again, perhaps more pointedly. 

She really did not mess around.

“-and work on some of the Isle reforms.”

“Yes.” Uma grinned, though this, at least, was less of a show of teeth. “I can get behind that.”

“Thought you might,” Mal drawled.

Chad noted that throughout the conversation, Jay didn’t say anything, the other teen having fallen into a distracted sort of silence as he pushed his food around his plate.

Maybe he wasn’t a morning person, or something. He certainly wasn’t a _cat_ person, so it seemed.

Whatever, that was his loss.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Harry let out a scoff later that night, when they were walking the path back to their suite after a day of legislature (Ben, Mal, and Uma) and world discovery (Jay, Harry, and Gil) as they indulged in some downtime before dinner.

“A prince?” Harry laughed, running a lazy hand through his hair. “Benny-boy wanted to introduce us to a _prince?_ Aside from him, what royal would be crazy enough to want in on this?”

“Probably didn’t go into detail about what this visit entailed,” Uma muttered with a roll of her eyes while Chad tried to ponder what exactly _that_ meant. “You saw that dipshit – he was totally into Audrey.”

“I feel kind of bad for him,” Gil said, hugging Chad closer to his chest. “He was just trying to be a good crew member for her and she _still_ didn’t like him. It’s like he was permanently banished.”

“That’s ‘cuz princess pinkie is incapable of being happy with herself,” Uma drawled lazily. “-so she took it out on him. But whatever, that’s where he wanted to be, so it’s a good thing he hasn’t shown up yet.”

“Maybe he won’t come at all,” Harry teased, not knowing how close those words were being true. “And then we can have nice even numbers for- _you know_.”

“You’re incorrigible, Hook,” Uma sighed, flicking the back of his head.

“Even numbers for what?” Gil asked, perking up. “What are you talking about?”

“You’ll see,” Uma hummed, and Chad knew then and there that the conversation was _over_.

Which he was sort of glad for, because it had been a confusing one.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_16 Months Ago_

-:-:-:-:-:-

“What are you doing for Cotillion?” Jay asked, leaning against Chad’s Swords and Shields locker as though they were friends.

They were not friends, a fact Chad reminded himself of everyday, and yet there Jay was, throwing a wrench into the basic understanding of his existence.

“What _aren’t_ I doing for Cotillion?” Chad echoed back, using his favorite tactic of slightly modifying the original question into something rhetorical in a bid to buy himself some time. He wasn’t sure why Jay was asking him this, or why he was talking to Chad at all. They didn’t usually do that outside of the lessons Jay crashed for some reason.

And _there_ was the familiar roll of Jay’s eyes. “You know what I meant,” he sighed, hiking his backpack higher up his shoulder. “Are you taking anyone?”

“Obviously I’m going to ask Audrey,” Chad sniffed, not that it was any business of _Jay’s_ , who was likely making small talk because Carlos had missed practice and Jay needed someone to laugh at.

“…obviously,” Jay repeated, his tone all weird and inflectionless. He proceeded to be even weirder by waiting for Chad to finish packing up before walking _with him_ , a thing they rarely ever did. “Why do you like Audrey so much anyway?”

“Um, _hello_?” It was Chad’s turn to be incredulous. “Because she’s strong and pretty and thinks that I’m funny.” The last one was a lie, but she was on her way to thinking Chad was funny, which sort of counted. “She is the super princess of my dreams and I want to have her babies.”

Audrey was also one of the few individuals that had comforted Chad after the loss of his mother, that had offered her hand in friendship, and Chad had tried really hard not to ruin that relationship with his blatant adoration, but Audrey had always let him know that she hadn’t minded his dedication, even if she couldn’t necessarily return it. She still liked it when he gave her presents, though. And carried her books for her. And acted as her sounding board.

Chad did a lot for her in the hopes that one day her friend-feelings would evolve into boyfriend-feelings, and while it was totally okay if they never did, his dumb, stupid heart couldn’t help but hope nonetheless.

Jay, because he was uncultured in the intricacies of love, scrunched his nose. “She isn’t _that_ great,” he muttered, further proving his ignorance. 

“Um- _yes_ , she is,” Chad countered. “And I’m going to ask her to Cotillion.” And that would be that.

Jay let out an unreadable sound. “What if she says no?”

It was an innocent question, one Chad had asked himself many times, but that didn’t stop his pulse from rocketing up to what seemed to be a hundred miles per hour, like it was determined to do him in. “You think she’d say no?”

Honestly, Chad thought she’d say no too, and if she did he would respect that, but he didn’t really have any backup plans. 

His dating pool was unfortunately limited.

Jay shrugged, kind of slow and drawn out. “Maybe,” he said, which for Jay was kind of polite. “Do you have a plan in place for that?”

Jay knew very well Chad did not. Maybe _that_ was why he was asking Chad all these questions. To expose him as a poor planner.

Well, Chad would prove him wrong. He could make plans on the fly. He was _smart_ – sort of.

“Then I’ll just go stag,” he decided with a confident boast. “Like you. Dance with _all_ the princesses.”

They would say yes at least once out of good manners, and there were enough of them that Chad’s dance card could stay safely filled for the evening and he could pretend he was popular and well-liked. Maybe he’d even pretend he was at his mother’s first ball – he liked to do that sometimes. It was a nice daydream. 

“About that,” Jay said as they drew closer to the dorms. “I think I had the wrong plan after all.”

Chad perked up. “You did?”

Despite being from the Isle, Jay seemed to have an inherent understanding of how social situations worked. He maneuvered public scenes with an ease Chad mostly had to force. If _Jay_ thought he was wrong, then he was probably wrong.

“Yeah,” Jay sighed, like it pained him to admit it. “I realized that going stag might signal me as a free operator, but it also lacks a distinct amount of commitment.” He paused, as though waiting for Chad to cut in, and when he didn’t, he took pity on the blond and explained, “Girls like commitment.”

Chad flushed. “I knew that.”

He did not know that. He’d _theorized_ that, but most of his theories focused on Audrey and Audrey alone. He called it prioritizing.

“Right.” Jay nodded. “Girls also like what they can’t have. It creates an air of excitement and desire, _so_ …” He trailed off, waiting for Chad again, and then continued with another sigh. “I’ve decided I’m taking a date,” Jay explained. “Which will make all the other students jealous _and_ prove that I can honor a commitment, making me good boyfriend material.”

“That makes sense,” Chad said finally, hoping to make up for his earlier silence. “Who are you taking?”

“Here’s the thing,” Jay said, indicating that they were likely going down another rabbit hole. “Whoever I take has to be unique so I don’t make any of the other students feel bad – like, I can’t ask a princess because then all the other princesses will wonder why _they_ weren’t good enough.”

“…that’s fair,” Chad murmured, wondering exactly how many princesses liked Jay. Was it a lot? It sounded like a lot.

“And _then_ I thought,” Jay continued. “-there’s a way to avoid hurting anyone’s feelings _while_ helping out someone else.”

“Oooookay?” Chad was lost again. But really, when wasn’t he? “Is there a point to this?”

“Let me be your backup plan,” Jay said, so clearly and surely and _not_ jokingly that Chad missed his next step and found a way to trip over his own feet, falling to the ground in a graceless tumble of limbs.

Or, he would have, if Jay had not caught him. Because on top of being athletic and talented _and_ team captain, he also had killer reflexes. _Ugh_.

“Are you okay?” Jay asked, helping Chad back onto his feet with furrowed brows. He was even _concerned_. “Did you get hurt at practice? I already said you have to report this stuff as soon as it happens-”

“I’m _fine_ ,” Chad insisted with a flush, refusing to take that particular lecture from the supreme master of grin-and-bear-it. Besides, if Chad ever reported to the infirmary because of a _sports_ injury, he would be off the team so fast and in yet another private study hall his head would spin. “And why do you want to be my backup plan?”

Jay gave him an odd look. “I already told you – this could help both of us. It shows that we’re committed, that we’re _sensitive_ , because we’re taking each other, and thereby super boyfriend material. Why-” He leaned closer just as Chad was about to declare full and total _bologna_. “I bet it would make Audrey see you in a new, _dateable_ light, even.”

That got Chad’s attention.

“Really?” It seemed too good to be true, but Jay seemed so _sure_. And it wasn’t like he would willingly throw his lot in with Chad’s if it didn’t benefit him in some way. 

It was strange to have Jay be this generous for Chad, who had been a notable fiend to both Jay and his friends when they had first arrived, and the ease with which it was offered was something Chad found suspect, but…

They could _both_ win. And Chad liked winning. It didn’t happen for him often.

Jay offered him a smile that seemed smaller than the ones he shared with Mal. “Yep,” he chirped. “Once she sees that you can be committed, there’s no way she won’t reevaluate you. And people always want what they can’t have. In fact…” Jay seemed to straighten up. “I could even date you beyond Cotillion.”

“ _What?_ ” Chad felt a furious rush of heat flood his cheeks. “You mean like regular dates and- but we’re both _guys_.”

“Guys can date,” Jay said blithely, which might be true but princes did not date other _princes_ because they had family lines to secure. “Stop freaking out, it wouldn’t be a real date. See, your problem is that Audrey hasn’t seen you in action as a _boyfriend_ yet.” Because Chad didn’t date. He flirted like crazy, likely misread signals and then overthought all of his actions until he eventually asked out no one. It was a gift. “If she saw what you were capable of-”

“As your _boyfriend_?’ Chad felt… very overwhelmed. First it had been a date, and then dates, and now _boyfriends_? 

“Exactly.” Jay snapped his fingers as though he’d hit the nail on the head, like they were saying things that were entirely reasonable. “She sees your moves, thinks – _‘Hey, I want that for myself’_ and then you’ve got it made.” When he put it like that, it _did_ seem easy. “And you get the bonus of actually practicing to be a better boyfriend – assuming you need such things.”

They both knew Chad did, but the blond appreciated the fact that Jay didn’t rub it in his face.

“So?” Jay pressed, leaning into Chad’s space. “What do you think?”

Chad considered his options, _but_ …

Well, his grandfather said that desperation was an undesirable quality in any partner. Maybe if Chad _didn’t_ ask Audrey to Cotillion, she would realize he was capable of moving on, and that would create a need for her to draw him close. And Chad _really_ wanted to be close to Audrey.

It was a no brainer.

“Okay.” Chad nodded, already considering his future. “I’ll fake-date you.”

“Except when we mention it to other people, we’ll just be _dating_.”

“Of course.” Chad shot Jay an unappreciative look. He wasn’t _that_ stupid.

Jay’s shoulder slumped, likely relieved that Chad was able to piece together some of the dots by himself. 

It had to happen at some point. 

“Great.” Jay smiled, one of the soft ones he usually reserved for Evie. “I’ll text you with the details, okay? If we want this to work, it has to look natural.”

“It will work,” Chad declared, because sometimes if he was confident and believed something stubbornly enough, it would come true. 

Not often, but _sometimes_.

Jay’s smile broadened. “Then we don’t have anything to worry about, do we?” he said, and that was that.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“What are you doing, Chad?” Audrey snarled in a whirlwind of ferocity Chad wasn’t used to seeing, the blond stepping back against the obvious onslaught of her fury.

Chad blinked dumbly at his locker. “…getting my books?”

Audrey let out a displeased hiss that indicated this was not the correct response. “What are you doing with _Jay?_ ” she clarified, making the pieces all fall together.

Oh. Huh.

For a moment, Chad couldn’t believe that Jay was _right_. The other teen had told Chad that they’d get Audrey’s attention, Chad just hadn’t expected it to work so effectively. Nothing else he had done had worked before.

Chad cleared his throat carefully, trying to keep it casual by dumping the last of his books into his backpack before shutting his locker in what he hoped was an effortless sort of cool that Jay managed just by breathing. “I’m dating him.”

There was a distinct pause.

“You’re _dating_ him?” Audrey echoed. She seemed displeased at the very notion – because that meant Chad was off the market. Oh, wow. _Oh, wow_. Alright, he had to keep it together, he couldn’t mess this up just because he’d gotten eager and jumped the gun. “ _Why?_ ”

“Um…” _Shit_ , he and Jay hadn’t actually covered this. For whatever reason, no one had really asked Chad why he was dating Jay – which would have been suspect were Chad one for small talk but he wasn’t, so it was actually perfectly normal. “He’s funny,” Chad settled on, because that was true enough. “And um… dedicated.” Because how else would he have been named team captain? “…and good looking and also he likes me.”

The last was a lie, which was why Chad rushed through it, but Audrey didn’t seem surprised by this fact.

_Wow_ , Jay must be a super good actor. Maybe they both were.

Instead of saying anything tangentially expectable, Audrey replied next with, “You _noticed_ that?”

Noticed… what? That Jay was attractive? Chad had _eyes_ ; it wasn’t like he’d miss that.

Because he was _above such things_ , Chad chose not to respond, re-shouldering his backpack so he could get back to his dorm room and do his homework. If he was quick about it, he’d only have his private studies left for after his practice session with Jay. 

“I can’t believe this,” Audrey muttered, staring off into the distance. “I can’t believe you’d stoop to dating _him_.”

“I don’t know why you care, Audrey,” Chad sniffed the way Mal taught him to, making a show of examining his nails even though Audrey wasn’t looking at him. “As long as we both respect each other and everyone’s having fun, it’s none of your business.”

Chad’s heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest, but he’d practiced Mal’s dialogue enough times that it came out sounding natural instead of strangled, which was how he felt.

Audrey let out another sound of anger. “Don’t you know how this _looks_?” she hissed. “I’m surprised your grandfather hasn’t given you shit for this.”

“You’ll be surprised to know my grandfather doesn’t care,” Chad lied through his teeth, because the duke cared very much. Chad had been dodging his calls and messages for _weeks_ now, and Chad knew it was only a matter of time before he woke up locked in a trunk or small closet until he felt more inclined to act like the prince he was. Chad was pretty sure the duke wouldn’t buy that this was all for Audrey, even though it _was_.

Audrey growled. Like, not a Ben growl, but a cute one, like a tiny chihuahua trying to be tough. “ _Sure_ , he doesn’t,” she said, and Chad couldn’t tell if it was foreboding or if she was just trying to make a recovery. “And you’re right, I _don’t_ care. You can date whoever you want.”

“Great,” Chad replied. “I am.”

_Please don’t call the bluff, please don’t call the bluff, please don’t call the bluff_.

Audrey did not call the bluff. Instead she threw up her hands in surrender and stomped away, glaring at anyone who drew close to her.

Because she knew Chad was off the market.

_Because she liked him too_.

Things were finally looking up. Now he just needed to talk to Mal and Jay about the next part of their strategy. He couldn’t wait to see what they had planned next.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Fake dating Jay was actually sort of nice.

Which completely _boggled_ Chad’s mind because like, just hanging around Jay generally _wasn’t_ nice – it was intimidating and anxiety inducing and always made Chad want to apologize even though he tried really hard to pretend he was fine because maybe if he did that enough, he _would_ be. 

So, Chad hadn’t expected much from being Jay’s boyfriend. He hadn’t really thought the other teen would put that much effort into it, but-

_Boy_ was he wrong. 

Because as soon as he’d agreed he’d gained what seemed to be a second shadow. Jay walked Chad to most of his classes, sometimes _carrying_ Chad’s books for him (the ones he couldn’t fit in his backpack) under one arm while using his free hand to hold Chad’s. Jay was- he held Chad’s _hand_ , and it didn’t even feel weird. He didn’t even seem _ashamed_ to do it, which Chad had been expecting, but like- he supposed that made sense because this was Jay’s plan anyway. 

They would walk together and instead of Chad studying during lunch all alone, Jay would drag Chad to his table, settling the prince between himself and Mal, who always had like, an extra cookie for him that she slid onto his tray, as though she somehow knew about the secret strict diet his grandfather had the chefs enforce upon Chad. And sometimes Jay would wrap an arm around his waist which was weird for like two seconds and then it was just really nice, Jay pulling him close while they casually talked to the others (who also talked to _Chad_ ) like they were all friends even though they weren’t friends.

“So,” Lonnie spoke up one lunch, waving a fork lazily at Chad as she looked over the two of them with a narrowed gaze. “When did this happen?”

For whatever reason, Jay seemed to tense, but Chad had actually been there for that part so he felt comfortable answering. “About a week ago.”

“Yeah, I got that,” Lonnie said, which- if she’d _known_ that, why did she even bother asking? “I meant, when did you get all hot for Jay?”

The way she put it was entirely crass, and it was no wonder that Chad felt his cheeks heat up in a furious blush, wishing the ground would swallow him whole right then and there. “I’m _not_ \- I am um… reasonably attracted to Jay,” Chad settled on, deciding that was perfectly respectable. “And he asked me, so I said yes.”

“That was it?” Lonnie pressed. “All he had to do was _ask_ you?”

“What else was he supposed to do?” Chad asked, and there was a moment where nobody answered, making him think he had conversationally messed up again.

And then Lonnie was laughing, a thing that seemed to slowly infect the rest of the table, until everyone but Jay and Chad were giggling helplessly.

“That’s what _I_ said,” Lonnie crowed, wiping tears of amusement from her eyes. “I said, ‘ _Jay_ ’-”

“He doesn’t need to know what you said,” Jay urged, tugging Chad closer to him as though he could be a shield from Lonnie’s weird gossip. “What matters is that I _did_ ask him out-”

“Finally,” Lonnie gasped, as though she had known Jay’s plan to demonstrate his commitment all along.

“-and _that’s_ what matters. Ben.” Jay turned his attention to the king. “Tell Lonnie that’s what matters.”

“You don’t have to pull the king in for this,” Lonnie wheezed. “I’ll lay off, but _still_. You just had to _ask_.”

“That is generally how these things work,” Chad said, which for whatever caused another surge of laughter to sweep over the table. 

Of course, dating Jay came with other things. Things Chad hadn’t really considered.

Things like _kissing_.

Which, in hindsight, seemed like an obvious inclusion. Dating people kissed. Chad and Jay were dating. Ergo, he and Jay would probably have to kiss at some point. 

It made sense, but also it didn’t because Jay was the ultimate ladies’ man, doing this to win over more ladies, and Chad was only along for the ride because Jay was being generous. 

But Jay also had _needs_ , which was how Chad discovered that ‘ _come study in my room_ ’ was actually code for ‘ _come make out with me_ ’. 

Chad got maybe two feet into the door before he found himself relieved of his bookbag and boxed against the wall, and he had been so entirely _frazzled_ by the situation that he hadn’t objected when Jay had ducked in and _kissed Chad_. On the _lips_. There were boy lips against his and boy hands on Chad’s hips and instead of freaking out his body was apparently all for it because he immediately melted into the contact, becoming goo in Jay’s hands. 

He stayed that way while Jay untucked his shirt, when Jay caressed his stomach and unbuttoned his collar so he could suck on Chad’s neck because those were apparently things Chad hadn’t realized he wanted until they were happening. He stayed hopelessly enthusiastic when Jay angled their um- _arousals_ together and then rutted against Chad, the friction and constant stimulation _doing_ things to the prince, along with the knowledge that Jay was hard for him, and he was hard for Jay, and the other teen kept touching him and kissing him and it felt _really_ good.

Long story short, they didn’t get a lot of studying done that evening, which made Chad put a rule in place for subsequent meetings, because as much as he (bizarrely) enjoyed making out with Jay, he also couldn’t fall behind in his studies. In a way, he used the other teen’s kisses as motivation to get done faster. 

It was a new and very exciting world, but things seemed to be working. He certainly had Audrey’s attention, and way more princesses were talking to him, asking him about Jay, about their dates (also, there were dates), about their _romance_ , and Chad answered to the best of his ability while also talking up himself and Jay as much as possible. That was, after all, the plan.

And for once, the plan actually seemed to be working.

Which made it a good day to be Chad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, party people!! Thank you all so much for the lovely feedback and comments!! It’s always a real boost to my day, and I love reading your responses to poor, oblivious Chad :D
> 
> Story notes:
> 
> So based on my very brief research there isn’t a lot of information about what Kings/Queens are called after they step down from the throne, because that’s not a thing they normally do. Based on the few examples I read, they revert back to their previous titles, which was why Queen Belle is now a duchess.
> 
> Also, magic all-knowing Belle for the win, because why not shortcut cat-Chad’s integration into the castle? Yes, yes, this checks out.
> 
> Cue Jay once more being a giant idiot person who initiates fake dating instead of owning up to his tricky, tricky feelings. His intention, of course, it to woo Chad to keeping him as a boyfriend full-time in an organic fashion, but will it work? Only time will tell ;)
> 
> EDIT - That awesome sketch of Chad wearing a choker was done by ASkyOfKai and can be found [here](https://twitter.com/geckoizcool/status/1318702144929722368)!!! Kai was inspired by cat Chad getting a collar, and gave me permission to link this awesome work!!!
> 
> Until next time :)


	4. Fifteen Months Ago

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING – Claustrophobia, kidnapping, and punishment – Takes place in the third scene marked ‘14 Months Ago’, see endnotes for more details.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_15 Months Ago_

-:-:-:-:-:-

“I don’t think I heard you right,” Chad admitted – which was not a thing that he enjoyed doing, seeing as it basically confirmed his stupidity, but he felt that the circumstances necessitated it.

Jay took in his statement with a nod, then said, “You did.”

Which – no. That was not right. That was not right at all.

In an attempt to hide his desperate confusion, Chad turned to Mal and Ben, hoping for salvation.

Mal offered him a thumbs up. “Look, it’s straight forward. Jay says you need to practice kissing.”

“I do _not_ ,” Chad lied on principle, feeling his cheeks heat in an embarrassed flush.

“But if you _did_ ,” Ben cut in, diplomatic as ever. “-then we thought we could offer our assistance. It’s important to experiment with different partners to achieve the best technique that can be applied to any person you choose.”

Chad lost a moment struggling to understand what Ben meant. This was unfair. How could Chad be too dumb for kissing? How had he managed that?

Mal sighed, pretending she was fed up with Ben instead of Chad because she really could be generous sometimes. “What he _means_ is that what works for Jay won’t necessarily work for anyone else. That’s why you should practice with different people – to give yourself options.”

“Oh.” Chad blinked. “That makes sense.”

And then he flushed because _of course_ that made sense, it was why they had offered in the first place. Though that begged to question-

“Why do you want to help me?” Chad normally wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, but Ben was _Ben_ and _off limits_ and Mal was dating Ben so obviously there was a plethora of issues there.

“Because,” Mal said, looping a stray curl around her finger. “I know what it’s like to want to do your best for someone. I respect that, and since we’re friends-” They were _friends?_ Did she mean like, figurative friends? She probably meant figurative friends. “-I thought I would help out. If you wanted to.”

“O…kay.” Chad still didn’t really understand why she wanted to help out, unless Jay had told her Chad was especially bad and she was kind enough to like, try and distribute the load of his shitty kisses between herself and Jay. _That_ was a good friend move.

“Ben would also like to help,” she continued, and that was where Chad got lost again.

“Isn’t that a thing he should _not_ do?” Chad asked, trying not to be desperate, but still so distinctly confused. “I’m going to be on his council one day.”

“But you’re not on his council _now_ ,” Mal clarified, seeming to almost bounce on the balls of her feet. “Now you’re just friends.”

_Figurative_ friends. “But he’s still the king,” Chad pointed out. “And a king kissing a prince-”

“Practice kissing,” Jay reminded him. “So you can get better! So we can _all_ get better,” he added in a show of generosity he really didn’t have to extend.

“This doesn’t have to do anything with our statuses, Chad,” Ben said kindly, though Chad’s grandfather would likely disagree, the same way he disagreed with Chad dating Jay. “It’s just a couple of friends doing friend-things.”

They kept throwing that ‘friend’ word around. Chad was pretty sure it did not mean what they thought it meant. 

_But_.

“…and it’s not because I’m bad?” he asked Jay, deciding to bite the bullet. “Like, if I’m so bad at kissing you want to share the load-”

“ _No_.” Jay said it so forcefully that Chad decided it had to be true. The guy looked worried and everything. Worried about hurting Chad’s _feelings_. “No, you’re not bad. We just-”

“You help me a lot,” Mal cut in with a bright smile. A smile, _for Chad_. “And now, I’d like to help you.”

“We all would,” Ben said, so very earnest. 

It was no wonder that Chad surrendered, even if the idea of kissing Ben sort of terrified him. “Okay,” he finally settled on, confused by their relieved smiles. “We can all practice, but I’m only dating Jay.”

“That’s fine,” Ben said, because he and Mal had obviously never intended to do that with Chad. “Would you like to get started now?”

“ _Now?_ ” Chad felt himself flush down to his toes. “As in, _now_ -now?”

Was there any other kind of now? Chad could be so stupid, sometimes. He really needed to get his head checked. Obviously, they wanted to get started, Ben had a very busy schedule. This was already community service as it was. 

But Mal only grinned at him, likely accustomed to Chad’s confusion via Jay. “Yep,” she said, pressing a finger against his chest. She kept pressing it until he took a step back, and then another, and then his thighs hit the edge of Ben’s bed – the _king’s_ bed – and he found himself nudged down into the sitting position.

No sooner had he done that then Mal climbed into his lap, _facing_ him. She was wearing a dress, one that rucked up her thighs as she settled into place, leaving Chad painfully aware of the fact that it was only her panties between herself and him and _now_ was not the time to think about how good she smelled.

Chad could feel the heat of his blush spread down his neck, burning so furiously that he thought he was going to melt, and it only got worse when Mal threaded her fingers gently through Chad’s curls.

“You can touch me, you know?” she offered with a grin – but like, a nice one, because she was being _generous_ – and Chad slowly but surely settled his hands on her hips, sending a look to Ben as though to confirm this was still okay. 

The king was watching them with an unreadable expression, eyes half-lidded, and Jay had already pulled up a chair, content to watch with an expression of flushed embarrassment, likely bemoaning how all of Chad’s practice with him seemed to have flown out the window. 

Right. _Right_. Chad should do him proud, or something.

“Is this okay?” _Ben_ asked. As in Ben, the guy who wasn’t even participating.

“Yes?” Chad said, wincing at the question, but Mal only seemed amused, which was one of the best flavors of Mal.

“We’re going to have sexy times,” Mal informed him. “But we’re only going to do what you’re comfortable with, okay? So if we need to slow down, just let me know.”

Sexy- like, were they going to do _more_ than kissing? Like what he did with Jay?

Oh wow, _oh wow_ – that was both terrifying and something he wanted to do very much, and he shot Ben another look just to make sure Mal hadn’t gone like, temporarily crazy or something, but the king only offered him a comforting smile, so obviously he was okay with that.

Oh _wow_.

Okay, so um- Chad should probably get started, then.

“Um.” Chad swallowed. “May I kiss you?”

Mal let out a delighted giggle. “Yes, you may.”

Kissing Mal, Chad assumed, would be closer to kissing Audrey than kissing Jay was. He didn’t know what to do with that information at the soft press of her lips, found himself almost wanting to whimper into the attention when she began to move against him, coaxing his mouth wider. Things started off easy, gentle, but it didn’t take long for Mal to get more enthusiastic, cupping his face between her hands so she could angle him _just so_ , seeming desperate to claim him. It was a heady thing, and Chad wondered if this was how she was like with Ben, if Chad was satisfying her in any way. He wondered if they made a good picture or if he was floundering the way he felt he was. He could only hope things were going well.

She was moving too, shifting her hips in a deliberate press that left him overcome with how close she was, how _hot_ he felt. He knew he was getting turned on, couldn’t stop the swell of heat even then he tried to, attempting to keep her back even though she kept pressing close-

At the first shift of her against- against _him_ , Chad moaned, Mal taking that opportunity to slide her tongue into his mouth which should be weird, it was probably weird and he should probably apologize but she was also rocking against him, the firmness between his legs continuing to rut against her panties until he _ached_. 

“S-Sorry,” he gasped when she finally pulled away, though that seemed mostly so she could start nibbling at his neck. “Mal-”

“You’re good,” Mal breathed between licks and sucks. She was just like Jay. “Honestly, I’d be a little offended if you weren’t worked up.”

Chad could see the other two perk up – in interest or concern, he did not know – likely having just caught on to Chad’s _predicament_. 

“S-Still,” he groaned, shivering in her hold. “I um- I’m sorry-”

“Here,” Mal huffed, grabbing one of Chad’s hands and then _easing it under her skirt_ , letting him smooth his hand up her bare thigh and he knew there were scars but she just felt so soft and pretty. And then she _kept_ guiding Chad’s hand up even though Jay was gasping in literal surprise, until Chad’s fingers grazed against the lace of her _panties_.

“See?” Mal said, as she casually coaxed his fingers _between her legs_ , until he could feel a sort of dampness spread against the delicate material he really shouldn’t be touching. “I’m having a good time too.”

“ _Mal_.” Chad could feel himself blush darker, consumed by a heat that threatened to kill him. “I can’t- I can’t touch you _there_.”

“Can’t, or don’t want to?” Mal asked, seeming curious.

“ _Shouldn’t_ ,” Chad corrected.

“Sure, you can,” Mal chirped, shuddering into the press of his fingers. “But if you’re feeling shy about it- Ben?”

The king seemed to snap out of his daze behind her, straightening with an embarrassed flush. “Yes, Mal?”

“Could you show Chad what to do?” she asked, like that was- that was a thing they could manage when the definitely shouldn’t- “He needs practice with this too.”

Instead of protesting or asking if Mal was _out of her mind_ , Ben nodded, likely tired of watching Chad fumble with his girlfriend. “Of course, Mal.”

Chad felt like his body was being pulled into a relentlessly tight thread when Ben approached, heart threatening to stop beating altogether when the king climbed onto the bed. For whatever reason, he settled _behind_ Chad on his knees, reaching around so that his arm was pressed against Chad’s, until their fingers were curled together under Mal’s skirt.

“ _Shit_ ,” Jay breathed, letting his head fall back in frustration. 

Chad didn’t say anything, _couldn’t_ say anything when Ben guided Chad’s fingers _into_ Mal’s panties, until he was touching her directly and good golly, miss molly he was touching the future queen’s _privates_ and the _king_ was helping him do it and Chad should be horrified but instead he was just really, really hard. And it didn’t help that Ben was pressed against his back in a steady line of contact, that he had an arm wrapped around Chad’s waist, close enough that it threatened to brush against Chad’s _groin_ , which was something the blond desperately wanted and also knew he couldn’t have. 

“You doing okay?” Ben asked, and Chad could only nod shakily, because even if he wasn’t entirely sure, he knew for certain that he didn’t want to stop.

He was rewarded with a low rumble that seemed to echo low from Ben’s chest, the brunette nuzzling his curls in an innocent slide of contact Chad couldn’t ignore if he tried.

“Like this,” Ben coaxed, guiding Chad through the motions until he was caressing against Mal, blushing hotly at the warmth and building wetness. “She’ll always want you to go right in, but you’ve got to build it up for her, make her appreciate the ride.”

“ _Ben_ ,” Mal groaned, her hips working into their hands in insistent shifts, trying to urge for more.

“You can kiss her too,” Ben said, his lips grazing the curve of Chad’s neck where Mal had been biting him earlier, light touches that made Chad shiver. “While you’re doing this. She likes that.”

Chad moved to follow his suggestion, Mal’s kisses more distracted this time, though that allowed them to be softer, Ben’s girlfriend whining and moaning against Chad’s lips as they moved their fingers just a little bit faster. Chad tried to memorize the movements but it was distracting with Ben also kissing against his neck, getting the delicate spot just under Chad’s ear that made him fall into mush.

“ _Chad_ ,” Mal groaned when she had enough, her hands settling on Chad’s shoulders. “Ben- _please_.”

“Okay,” Ben hummed, seeming amused and fond all in one. “Now you just- like this-”

Chad hardly dared to breathe as Ben coaxed one of his fingers _into_ Mal, and it was an overwhelming thing, to feel her clench around him, so very warm, her hips shifting downward to get more of him inside.

“Now, keep moving them in and out,” Ben explained, _licking_ Chad’s neck. “Start nice and slow, then speed up – like we did before. When she feels ready, you can add another finger.”

Oh, wow- oh, wow- _oh, wow_. Chad was making Mal feel good. She kept letting out these happy, positive sounds, cheeks tinged in a pretty pink blush that Chad wanted to kiss. It felt good, helping her with Ben to guide him, the king coaching him on speed, his long fingers toying outside her until Mal was cursing, though that was entirely at Ben. She said that Chad was doing a good job, and would reinforce this with the occasional kiss when she was able to hold it together.

Chad found he um- really liked helping her. He really liked how close she was curled against him and the way Ben was pressed against his back and the way Jay was watching them like they were his own personal show. Chad liked _all_ of those things, so despite the fact that no one was um- touching directly between his legs, he found himself getting more and more worked up. 

It was to the point of danger, though he tried not to focus on it as he slid another finger into Mal, the purple-haired teen groaning at the slow stretch. She felt so wet and good. Chad wondered what she’d feel like if he’d- not that he ever _would_ , that was Ben’s right, if she wanted it, but then Chad was lost on the tangent of Ben doing this. Of Ben stretching her and coaxing those sounds from her until he was finally pressing inside, shivering at the way she tightened around him-

Chad was taken completely off-guard by his release, shuddering when Ben bit at his neck while his hips stuttered, and he was- in his _pants_ , he was making a mess like he had no control and they hadn’t even really touched him and no-no- _no_ , he couldn’t- not with the _king_ touching him. 

Chad shoved his way through it, jaw tightening as he tried to focus on Mal and not the mess in his pants, trying to keep the anxiety of it leaking through his clothes at bay. 

Unfortunately, Chad wasn’t that great an actor, so it didn’t take long for Ben to realize something was wrong, even though Chad did his best to keep making Mal happy, to prove he wasn’t a waste.

“Are you okay?” Ben asked, nuzzling just under Chad’s ear.

The blond shuddered, grateful that his blush could be attributed to arousal and not embarrassment. “I’m fine. I’m great. Mal, are you-”

“I’m _close_ ,” Mal groaned. “But you’re um- all tense.”

“That’s- happy tension,” Chad lied, squeezing his eyes shut so he wouldn’t have to see Mal’s accessing gaze. “Let me just-”

“Does it hurt?” Mal asked, and it took Chad a few seconds to realize she might be referring to his previous predicament. “Ben, could you help him out?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Chad breathed, but then Ben was palming between his legs in a deliberate shift that definitely would have made Chad fall apart if he had not already done so. As it was he trembled through the contact, each of Ben’s squeezes feeling especially pointed against his oversensitive flesh, terribly aware of the mess the king was just- spreading around. 

“…Chad?” Ben sounded so confused. “I thought you liked this.”

He was going to make Chad spell it out to him. Make him admit his failures. It was something his grandfather liked to do.

“I did,” Chad said, keeping his gaze fixed anywhere but them. “A um… little too much.”

He squeezed his eyes shut again while the weight of that information settled on them, and he could feel the moment they realized it, Mal squeezing around him while Ben tensed.

“Sorry,” he whispered, throat feeling tight as a familiar heat built behind his eyes. “Sorry, I’m sorry-”

“Hey, _hey_.” Mal cradled his face between her hands again, tilting their foreheads together so he’d have to look her in the eye. “That just means you enjoyed it, right?” She leaned forward to kiss both of his cheeks, ending with a chaste kiss against his lips. “This is what we’re practicing for anyway. It’s all good, Chad. You don’t have to apologize.”

“You don’t,” Ben insisted, palming Chad’s groin with exaggerated care, Chad trembled into it. “Now why don’t you finish off Mal and then I’ll get you cleaned up.”

“Yeah, no,” Jay said, and Chad had half a second to panic before the other teen continued with- “As his boyfriend that is _my_ privilege. You can watch.”

“Greedy,” Mal muttered, and then her mouth was falling open with a groan because Chad had done something right.

Working Mal through her high was an empowering thing – and if they had ended things there he would have been perfectly okay, but then he found himself splayed out on his back while Jay cleaned him _with his mouth_ – thereby inspiring Ben to do the same with Mal, until both blonds were laid out next to each other, moaning at the attentive mouths between their legs. 

When it was finally over and Chad had become slightly more coherent, Ben had given Chad a pair of _his_ boxer briefs to keep, forcing Chad to walk back to his dorm room with the certain knowledge that he was wearing Ben’s _underwear_. That their genitals had touched by boxer-association.

None of what happened had been anything Chad expected, but still, it seemed… good? And he was getting better for Audrey, so he guessed it was a win. It seemed close to one.

He decided, in the end, to classify it as one. If only to make things easier for him and his hormones.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_Present Day_

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chad would admit, there were a few hiccups when it came to learning how to use his cat body.

He wasn’t used to working with four legs, wasn’t accustomed to distributing his weight among them. Eventually he got used to walking, could manage slow prowls and speedy bolts across open spaces, but jumping proved to be an issue.

One he was struggling to correct. Cats could jump. They could jump like little springboards – he’d seen it. They could leap like stupidly majestic beasts and here he was, struggling to get onto an ottoman. It was stupid, but still a problem, and he fortunately had a method for dealing with problems. One that involved breaking the conundrum into smaller pieces, conquering _those_ , and then working himself towards victory. 

So he started with small things – low steps, stools, leaps that he was pretty sure he could make. Once he was nailing those jumps with little to no wobbling, he moved onto chairs and benches, perfecting his trajectory until he could spring onto Gil’s bed with no problem. 

It was bolstered with a confidence from those two achievements that had Chad moving on to his next quest – the dresser, which was about a foot higher than his other targets but still seemingly within his grasp. He just needed to take the leap – literally. He couldn’t improve by just staring at it, even though he wished he could. 

So Chad coiled his muscles in a familiar fashion and prepared for his launch, trying to take into account the added height. He would be fine; he just needed a little more _umph_. Just a little more-

Chad may or may not have smashed his face into the top drawer of the dresser. He may or may not have plummeted to the ground with a shake of his head, trying to clear the lingering pain away. 

Alright, so that was less than glamorous, but if he tried again-

His planning was interrupted by the sound of helpless laughter, and he turned in time to catch _Jay_ , of all people, laughing at him.

“Oh, _wow_ ,” Jay laughed, so worked up that tears seemed to be pooling at the corners of his eyes. “I can’t believe- you fuckin ate it, you dumb cat. I thought you were supposed to be graceful.”

Of _course_ Jay had seen it. Of course he would stand there and laugh at Chad’s expense – when did he _not?_ He didn’t even know it was Chad and he was still laughing; how could that possibly be fair?

And Chad could stay and face that humiliation, or he could take advantage of his small size and dart into his favorite hiding place – under the bed, curling up near the wall as he tried to ride out the wave of Jay’s amusement.

“ _Holy shit_ ,” the teen laughed, voice bordering on hysterical. “That was awesome. I can’t wait to tell Harry.” No. Don’t tell _Harry_ , that guy would tell Uma, and then she’d tell _Gil-_ “Okay…” Jay’s voice drifted a little closer, until Chad could see his familiar boots draw into his line of vision, the teen kneeling near the edge of the bed. “Come out, Shadow. I was only messing around.”

Seemingly on reflex, Chad let out a low warning growl that he could probably never recreate, curling into a tighter ball. 

“Seriously,” Jay continued, bending low to stare into the darkness. “Gil’s gonna be mad if I scared you into hiding before he got back.”

That sounded an awful lot like a _him_ problem. 

Chad didn’t deign to reply, closing his eyes so the light couldn’t reflect off them. He knew with his glossy coat it would be difficult for Jay to find him – and even if the other teen was stupid enough to try and reach with his arm, Chad was safely out of range, so he was fine.

“ _Shadow_ ,” Jay sang, beginning to sound a little frustrated. _Good_ , he deserved it. “Here, kitty-kitty…”

“What are you doing?”

Oh great, it was Mal. As though this wasn’t bad enough.

“Shadow’s hiding under the bed,” Jay sighed. “I’m trying to get him out for Gil.”

“Did you do something?” Mal pressed. “He usually doesn’t give you shit.”

“I’m telling you, this cat doesn’t fucking like me,” Jay griped. Chad wasn’t sure how the other teen had come to this deduction as Chad spent most of his cat-time avoiding Jay. Well, maybe _that_ was why. “He is doing this out of _spite_.”

“Well-earned spite, though,” Mal mused, and that was all the conversation they were allowed before Gil’s boisterous presence barged into the room.

“Hey, guys!” Gil chirped, his voice carrying under the bed easily. “What are you doing?”

“Jay pissed off your cat,” Mal deadpanned. “And now he won’t come out.”

“I did _not_ ,” Jay sputtered.

Gil, having experience with Jay, decided to take Mal’s word for it. “ _Jay_ ,” he said, sounding the epitome of wounded. 

It eased some of the damage done to Chad’s pride.

“I didn’t piss him off,” Jay insisted. “He missed a jump and I laughed at him. _Then_ he got all pissy and darted under the bed.”

Somehow, Gil’s voice got even _more_ wounded. “Of course he did, you _laughed_ at him.”

“The cat can’t understand us, Gil,” Jay said for what was maybe the hundredth time, but the joke was on him because Chad understood _everything_.

He also wasn’t sure why Jay was arguing with Gil. As far as Chad could tell, part of the reason Gil had been invited to the castle was for the express purpose of allowing Jay a shot at wooing him. Like, Chad wasn’t sure why he’d been invited to witness that, but it seemed to be the case. There were two established couples herding their single friends together, and that was well and good and _great_ , Chad guessed, and definitely didn’t hurt even a little.

“Shadow’s sensitive, Jay,” Gil huffed, voice drifting closer so that he must have been crouched down beside Jay, urging him out of the way. “He knows stuff, because he’s smart. How would you like it if someone laughed at you for missing a jump?”

“First of all, I wouldn’t miss the jump,” Jay grumbled. “And he’s a cat. Jumping is what cats _do_.”

“Not Shadow,” Gil insisted. “I always thought he was shy about it. Maybe he was shy because he wasn’t good at it and then you _laughed_ at him.” 

From an outsider’s perspective, everything Gil said seemed like total lunacy, and yet he would forever be the closest to the truth. He was so close that Chad felt his stupid cat breath catch, his tiny heart pounding in his weird chest as Gil carried on.

“Shadow?” Gil called, likely bending low to project his voice under the bed. “Could you come out please? I promise Jay won’t laugh at you again.”

Jay made a sound of protest. “Gil-”

“I promise,” Gil repeated, forever solemn, and Chad was shaken by how easily this was given. Few people extended such a courtesy for Chad, but here he was as a cat, being offered a portion of what he’d always wanted.

It made him want to swallow his pride and drift closer to the sound of that voice, but he knew he had to stand firm. No way was he going out there to deal with _Jay’s_ presence. He didn’t need that. Or want it. He was staying right where he was, thank you.

Gil waited a few moments, then sighed. Chad didn’t open his eyes until he heard the blond’s footsteps trailing away, towards the dresser Chad had been trying to jump onto in the first place.

“Oh well,” Gil sighed, opening up one of the drawers and rummaging around. “I guess I’ll have to eat all this tuna by myself.”

Oh. _No_.

“Gil,” Jay tutted. “You can’t reward him for being a shithead.”

“I can eat whatever I want in my room,” Gil sniffed, and that was- that was a distinct sound of unhappiness there, something that indicated that Jay was superbly in the doghouse. “And if I feel like sharing it-” There was the familiar mechanical sounds of a can opener, the smallest hint of fishy aroma blossoming into a full-on tuna attack on Chad’s senses. His mouth started to water. “-with my _friend_ , that is my prer- my prer-”

“Prerogative,” Mal offered.

“Right!” A few more seconds and that smell overwhelmed Chad, Gil crossing back towards the bed and setting the open can on the floor. 

_Nertz_. It was tuna. Delicious, delicious tuna that wasn’t dried cat food and Chad may have not given a particular care about tuna before, but now it was his life’s blood. His nectar, he needed nothing else. 

And Gil _knew_ that. 

_Ughhhhhh_.

“That is my _prerogative_ ,” Gil repeated, the word clumsy but endearing on his tongue. “If you don’t like that, you can get out.”

There was a tense moment where Jay likely recognized his wooing overtures as rapidly dwindling, and then he sighed. “Of course, Gil. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize to _me_ ,” Gil sniffed, pressing the can closer to the edge of the bed. “Apologize to Shadow.”

There was a tense silence. Chad could practically _feel_ Mal’s repressed snickers.

“…I’m sorry, Shadow,” Jay offered eventually, even managing to sound partially genuine. “I shouldn’t have laughed at you.”

“No,” Gil agreed. “You should not have.” He tapped his fingers against the floor, next to the open tuna can. “Would you come out and eat with me?”

Well, when he asked like _that_ … 

Chad surrendered what was left of his pride and slowly moved out of the darkness, crawling out of the bed just enough so he could grab a mouthful of tuna before ducking back under. He stayed near the edge though, in Gil’s line of sight, but wanted to keep the protection that the bed offered.

Gil didn’t seem upset by this. “Hey, Shadow!” he chirped, scratching Chad behind the ear the way he always did, Chad purring into the contact on reflex. “It’s good to see you.”

“I think he’s happy to see you too,” Mal noted, a smile lingering in her voice. When Chad managed to look up at her, she seemed amused, an amusement that only grew when she looked at Jay’s put out expression. “Hiya, stud.”

“He is just a _cat_ ,” Jay pointed out, not for the first time, and as though to spite him, Mal folded her legs carefully under her so that she was settled next to Gil, offering Chad careful scratches as well.

As much as Chad tried not to like Mal for what she did to Audrey (and the um- other stuff), he had to admit she gave some pretty good head scratches. It was the nails. Always on point, _ha_.

“Not just a cat,” Mal hummed. “He’s _Shadow_.”

“And he understands you,” Gil insisted. “He’s smart.”

“If he understands us, why wouldn’t he find a way to talk to us?” Jay pressed, deciding that this would be the hill he died on.

Gil let out a heavy sigh. “You know, sometimes I wouldn’t want to talk to you either – so I sort of understand that.”

Mal let out a cackle in response to Jay’s wounded noise, and Chad settled himself in for a pleasant dinner. Okay, this wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t _perfect_ , by any means, but it wasn’t _bad_ either.

He could hold onto that.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_14 Months Ago_

-:-:-:-:-:-

It was likely inevitable for Chad to have a confrontation with his grandfather, he had just sort of been hoping it would be _after_ Cotillion. It wasn’t an unreasonable assumption, the Duke would be busy making appearances and showing Sardinia’s support for the new Lady of the Court to-be, Ben’s probable-wife, and in addition to that he had Chad’s father to keep tabs on. That should have given Chad plenty of time to get his practice, end his fake relationship with Jay and take Audrey, the girl of his dreams, to the fancy party Jane decided to have on a boat for some reason. 

Like many of the assumptions Chad had made in his life, he was wrong. As such, he was only partially terrified when he fell asleep in his dorm room only to wake up in the cold under-basement of Sardinia castle, the rooms lined with old, dampened stone that trapped in the perpetual smell of rot. 

When Chad woke up he was in cheap, flimsy clothes – things that would be easy to tear off him when the punishment was done because Chad was going to make a mess, was going to sit in his own filth and tears and saliva while he gasped and shook for air.

The box – _his_ box, stood open at the far end of the room – made of a sturdy wood that ached to lay on, something that stifled his screams partially but not enough. The speakers were already set up to play back whatever message his grandfather wanted him to get through his skull, and the Duke stood next to the box, his hands folded behind his back, waiting.

“Chadwick,” he said simply, because Chad already _knew_ where he’d gone wrong. “You’ve made Sardinia look weak, and worse than that, you dared to sully the king.”

Chad’s pulse picked up. “Ben offered-”

“That’s _‘his majesty’_ to _you_ ,” the Duke cut in with a ruthless scoff, making Chad feel small. “You dare to have such familiarity with the _king_? You, who may not even be ruler of Sardinia? You, who are nothing, would risk tainting the king with your stupidity, your neediness, your _failure_?”

Chad was trembling by the time the Duke had finished his speech, because he knew all of it had been correct.

“I’m sorry,” Chad whispered. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“No,” the duke agreed. “You never do.” He motioned for the guards to grab a hold of Chad, to drag him towards the too-small box. “But you will, now.”

Despite the many times this had happened before, Chad couldn’t stop himself from begging, from struggling and asking _please-please-please_ because almost _anything_ was better than the box. The chains and the rope and the chair and the closet were all better than the box but they forced him in anyway, contorted and twisted him until they could _slam_ the lid shut, until it was dark and he couldn’t move and he had to force himself to breathe even though that might be gone too. 

Chad had dared and Chad should not have. Chad had made a mistake but he’d _known_ , and now he was going to suffer the consequences of his actions.

It was the only thing to be done.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Hey.”

Audrey caught Chad when he was catching his breath between classes. His grandfather had returned him to Auradon Prep Monday morning, which forced Chad to get straight into the thick of things on a mostly empty stomach, feeling listless and dirty and cramped. He wasn’t dirty, of course, and he had plenty of open air above him, but he was so, _so_ tired, and so terrified that he might accidentally catch sight of Ben that he thought he was going to throw up what little food he had forced down.

And then there was Jay – kind, patient Jay – who kept trying to check up on Chad and drag him to the nurse’s office and carry his books and just- _talk_ too much and be too close and Chad couldn’t handle it, had to duck out of class before his ‘boyfriend’ found him and hide out on the lawn during lunch because if he sat with Ben he was probably going to- Chad didn’t know, start _crying_ , or something. 

But then Audrey had found him, which generally never happened, which happened less once Chad started dating Jay, and holy _shit_ , maybe the plan was finally working.

“I was thinking,” Audrey continued, studying her nails carefully as she stood above Chad’s hiding place at the base of a tree. “I’m ready to go on dates again, and I think I’d like to go on dates with _you_ , but-” she sighed _wistfully_ , her gaze going up towards the sky in a muted sort of pain. “-you’re spoken for, so I guess that can’t happen.”

Chad’s heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest, it beat so quickly. “And… and if I wasn’t?”

Audrey looked at him, expression startled, and then delighted. For _him_. “Why Chad, that would be lovely. But are you sure? You and Jay seem to be getting along so well.”

“I um… I think he’s ready for something new,” Chad murmured, even though he wasn’t sure which of the many princesses in the school Jay was actually going after. Every time Chad had tried to ask, the other teen had changed the subject.

Chad felt a little bad that he wasn’t holding up his side of the deal about Cotillion, but if he did well with Audrey then _she_ would go with him and everything would be the way it was supposed to be. For once, everything would be going Chad’s way.

It didn’t happen often, which meant he had to take this opportunity while he had it.

“…and I am too,” Chad continued, offering Audrey a smile. “I would be honored to take you on a date, Audrey.”

“Excellent,” the princess chirped, clapping her hands together. “I’ll text you the details tonight. And you’ll clear up your little – you know – with Jay?”

“Yes, Audrey,” Chad promised, forcing a grin he did not entirely feel. He knew he would miss fake-dating Jay, because it was attention and Chad didn’t _get_ attention often, but he couldn’t draw things out for that alone. And he definitely couldn’t talk to Ben anymore, or _touch_ Ben anymore, and since the king was a whole part of… _that_ , Chad needed to rip the band aid off.

And Audrey had given him the perfect reason to do so. 

-:-:-:-:-:-

In an effort to honor Jay, Chad decided to climb through the window of his dorm room, having slept through Swords and Shields practice in an effort to regain some of his energy, even if the peace was short lived, Chad waking up with nightmares of tight, enclosed spaces and dark, dark, _darkness_. 

That was what had Chad climbing out his window, stumbling under the early evening sky until he could force his legs to get to Jay’s room. 

By the time he managed to drag himself up to Jay’s window ledge, he could hear his fake boyfriend’s worried voice intermixing with Carlos’.

“You can’t find anything?” Jay pressed, sounding worried. “All of my calls are going straight to voicemail, and the texts keep getting bounced back.”

“Dude,” Carlos sighed. “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I think he blocked your number.”

“And Mal’s?” Jay said, sounding distinctly unhappy at the prospect of Chad blocking him – which must have been his grandfather’s handiwork while he was trapped in his box. “And _Ben’s_?” 

“I dunno what you want me to say.”

“How about ‘ _I know where he is’_.” That was Mal’s voice, sounding so very on edge, and if Mal was there, maybe Ben was there too, and Chad couldn’t be near Ben, he couldn’t taint him and he couldn’t _touch_ him or look-look- _look_ at him.

“I already told you he’s on campus,” Carlos huffed. “That’s as exact as I can get it. He spent the week in Sardinia Castle and _now_ he’s on campus, so…”

“Why is he avoiding us?” Mal growled, frustrated. “Why would he block us?”

“Bigger question – why is he so _thin_?” Carlos asked. “Don’t they feed him in Sardinia?”

“He’s always weird about food,” Mal grumbled. “Maybe he made himself too anxious to eat. That happens sometimes.”

Chad was actually warmed by the fact that she’d noticed that, until he reminded himself that it was actually pathetic and maybe _that_ was why she’d made a note of it.

Still. He just needed to knock on the window. He wouldn’t know if Ben was there until he tried, and if the king _was_ , Chad could always push himself back outside. The grass seemed safe.

It was with great trepidation that Chad reached forward, rapping his knuckles on the window pane before he heard everything inside the room stop. There was a beat, and then Jay was throwing the window open, bodily dragging Chad inside before he could get a word in edgewise.

“ _Chad_ ,” he murmured, squeezing him close. “Hey, how are you?”

“Um… fine,” Chad lied, tempted to squeeze Jay back but knowing he shouldn’t because this was it, it was over.

Also, upon further inspection, Ben _wasn’t_ there but Mal was, crowding into their space and throwing her arms around both of them with a steadfast sort of determination. 

Carlos lingered on the far side of the room, giving them space, which Chad was grateful for.

“What happened?” Mal hissed, running a hand through his curls even though they weren’t practicing, her eyes glowing green. “Did they do some kind of diplomatic thing to your phone that blocked everyone’s calls?”

“…maybe?” Chad didn’t know, he’d just gotten the phone back that morning. “Hey um… I need to talk to Jay.”

“O _kay_ ,” Mal said, and then she just sort of cuddled in close, letting herself rest against Chad’s back because- because anything that could be said to Jay could be said to her, because they were _friends_.

Chad didn’t have that, but he could maybe get that one day with Audrey, get those hugs and easy cuddles that he didn’t have to ask for. 

“Right.” Chad swallowed, hating the way Jay gave him his full attention, like he had anything to say that was important. “I um… need to ‘break up’ with you.”

Both of them froze – tensed, and he could _feel_ it, because they were both so close to him.

“…what?” Jay asked, like he hadn’t heard Chad correctly.

Chad cleared his throat. “It um… worked,” he explained. “The plan. Audrey totally thinks I’m boyfriend material now-”

“You still want to date Audrey?” Jay asked, like that was never _not_ on the table.

It threw Chad for a moment. “… _yes?_ ” he said, confused about the question. “I told you, she’s the princess of my dreams-”

“Why, though?” Jay asked, even though they’d had this conversation before, and Chad’s answers weren’t any different. “She’s mean to you.”

Chad felt his cheeks heat up. “She _was_ mean to me, because I wasn’t boyfriend material, but now _-_ ”

“ _We’re_ nice to you,” Jay continued, almost like he hadn’t heard Chad.

And this was true, but like, they weren’t _actually_ dating. They weren’t even really friends. At least Audrey said they had that much. It wasn’t a lot, but it was something. 

“You are,” Chad agreed, because he didn’t want them to think he was ungrateful. “You’ve been very nice to me-”

“But you still want to date her,” Jay surmised.

Chad nodded. He’d met Audrey during a very dark time of his life, when he’d been nothing and low, and she’d offered him a hand out of the depression that had threatened to overtake him entirely. He couldn’t put into words how much he valued her friendship, or wanted to be able to repay her while knowing he couldn’t, or how to explain how much this opportunity meant to him. He could only nod.

“It worked,” Chad said simply, because Jay could take comfort in that. “And um… we can’t keep practicing forever. Eventually we’re going to have to _really_ date people and Audrey wants to _really_ date me so-”

He cut off when the door opened, gaze sliding to it on reflex. His heart seemed to freeze in his chest when he caught sight of Ben’s face – first tired, then seemingly happy at catching sight of Chad. But it was Ben. Ben drawing closer and Chad was going to taint him, Chad was going to _break_ him because that was what he _did_ -

There was some shouting – Jay’s or Mal’s, Chad didn’t know, he just knew that between one minute and the next he was stumbling back out onto the lawn, forcing his legs into a desperate sprint even though he was so very tired, running and running until he thought he might be free, until the world could be safe behind him. 

It wasn’t much of an offering, but it was all Chad had. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the feedback, guys!!! Your support and enthusiasm are always a lovely bolster to my day, and I love reading your theories and questions! I can’t always answer them for fear of giving anything away, but I’ll try to reply to what I can to give you at least a little somethin’-somethin’ ;D
> 
> Okay, so that was a bit of a rough one, but it gets better! Eventually, I mean. I know most of you aren’t surprised by this turn of events, with the Duke as he is, it was a bit inevitable. 
> 
> Story notes:
> 
> Shoutout to my sweet Princess Bride reference. ‘Cuz sometimes you gotta do things for yourself ;D
> 
> So I realize that is a quick escalation from the Duke. Originally I had planned to write in more Chad/Ben/Mal/Jay bonding before the Duke cut in, but that well of inspiration ran dry. That’s why things seem to have shifted so abruptly, but I promise, those four will have their due eventually :)
> 
> WARNING – Claustrophobia, kidnapping, punishment – In the third scene (14 months ago) Chad is kidnapped by his grandfather and punished for his relationship with Jay and his experimentations with Ben and Mal. This punishment will result in Chad getting locked in a box for a week. You can skip this scene entirely if you are not comfortable with such things – the Duke is mostly just revealing the fact that he knows what is going on while being in general the worst person in existence. 
> 
> If you would like to skip the references to Claustrophobia in specific, look for this line:
> 
> Like many of the assumptions Chad had made in his life, he was wrong. As such, he was only partially terrified when he fell asleep in his dorm room only to wake up in the cold under-basement of Sardinia castle, the rooms lined with old, dampened stone that trapped in the perpetual smell of rot. 
> 
> And jump back in for:
> 
> “Chadwick,” he said simply, because Chad already knew where he’d gone wrong. “You’ve made Sardinia look weak, and worse than that, you dared to sully the king.”
> 
> There is a bit more at the end of the scene, so look for:
> 
> “No,” the duke agreed. “You never do.” He motioned for the guards to grab a hold of Chad, to drag him towards the too-small box. “But you will, now.” 
> 
> You can skip the rest of the scene after that, it’s mostly Chad panicking. 
> 
> WARNING – the first line of the last scene also has references to claustrophobia so you can skip it. The basic gist is that Chad climbs into Jay’s dorm room to talk to him. 
> 
> Until next time


	5. Thirteen Months Ago

It took Chad about a week to realize that maybe getting Gil to love him wasn’t going to happen.

Not because the teen was incapable of love or anything, it was more like love wasn’t a thing that the VKs gave easily, so he probably wasn’t going to waste it on a cat. 

Which left Chad in a precarious position, because he’d spent a week catting it up, doing his best to be adorable and cuddly and full of purrs and whatever else he thought Gil might want instead of like – _telling_ someone about his curse. He still had a human intellect. It wasn’t a _great_ intellect, but it was certainly enough that he could grab a pencil or something with his mouth and communicate with someone. He could probably use a keyboard to get his point across, slowly but surely. It’d take time, but he’d get there.

And yet, Chad held off. Because he wanted to keep trying, because he thought one more day would help, and then he realized-

Maybe he was so reluctant to change back because he _enjoyed_ being a cat. 

It was sort of undeniable. Chad liked sleeping on Gil’s chest, comfortable and warm and not alone. He liked the endless amount of tuna and not having to worry if his next mistake would get his food taken away. He liked not having the stress of attempting to be a perfect prince when he knew full-well he wasn’t. He liked being able to be _good_ at something for once, especially if that thing was keeping Gil and the others company. He liked sprawling across laps and getting scratches and raising them up when they felt low, and he knew for a fact that none of those were things he could achieve as _Chad_. 

But as Shadow, he could, which made Chad realize something. 

He didn’t really want to be human after all. He enjoyed his new life, and he was glad he was terrible at breaking the curse because _this_ was what he wanted. And sure, that cut like, eighty years off his lifespan, but-

Well, he’d rather enjoy a short, fulfilling life than a long, empty one.

The joke was on the Enchantress for this one. He _loved_ his curse. And if he could help it, he was never going to break it.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_13 Months Ago_

-:-:-:-:-:-

“ _There’s no way I’m going to Cotillion with you_.”

The words seemed to make Chad’s world stutter to a ruthless halt, everything crashing down around him while his ears rang with white noise, though he knew that somehow, someway, everyone else’s lives still continued on, including Audrey’s, who had just ripped his night to pieces.

“ _I thought about it_ ,” Audrey continued blithely on the phone, unaware of Chad’s panic. “ _But I don’t think I can handle watching that **girl** get introduced as Lady of the Court instead of me_.”

“Okay.” That seemed fair. In retrospect, it was honestly a little rude of Chad to try and make her do that much just for _him_. “Then maybe I can come to you and we can-”

“ _About that_ ,” Audrey interrupted, using one of Chad’s least favorite combination of words. “ _I’m not sure I can really commit to you either_.”

No. _No-no- **no**_ – things had been going so well. He’d done everything she’d asked for and been kind and considerate like Mal said he should be. What had he done wrong?

“ _You’re used goods, Chad_ ,” Audrey huffed. “ _I know you were a virgin before Jay got to you, but you’re tainted now that he’s gotten his grubby little hands all over you_.” Chad felt like his heart was beating in his throat, threatening to leap out of his mouth in a bid to escape this madness. “ _That’s something I might be willing to overlook… eventually_ ,” she settled on. “ _Given the right incentive. But I can’t do it now, okay Chaddie?_ _When I look at you all I can think about is how you were so desperate for sex that you **wanted** him to touch you – it makes me doubt your reliability, is all. But I’m sure you can prove that in time_.”

He wasn’t- she thought he wasn’t reliable, but Jay had said- Jay had said this would prove Chad’s commitment. 

How had Jay been _wrong?_

“ _So I’m going to be staying at my meditative retreat over summer_ ,” Audrey continued, totally contented in her choices. “ _Try to be a good boy while I’m gone, okay? If you stay nice and untainted, **maybe** I’ll agree to date you_.” They were clear enough instructions, and Chad was about to thank her for them before she steamrolled on. “ _Alright, I’ve got to go now, Chaddie. Have fun at Cotillion! **Not**_.”

She hung up before he could get a word in edgewise, leaving him standing in the shelter of Jay and Carlos’ room, braving enemy territory just so he could get that 3D copy of Ben’s crown that Audrey wanted for some reason. They were supposed to _roleplay_ , whatever that meant, and now they weren’t going to do anything. Chad had gotten his best suit, commissioned a special cape, _and_ bought Audrey a mess of jewelry he couldn’t really afford just so he could ensure the night was perfect, and now it was over before it even really started.

He felt a familiar heat build behind his eyes but ruthlessly shoved it down when he heard the door crack open behind him, his mind racing.

He hoped it was Carlos. _Please_ , let it be Carlos. The young De Ville didn’t like Chad, but at least he didn’t give Chad sad eyes any time they happened to have a conversation.

“Chad,” Carlos groaned, likely letting his head fall back in despair. “This is my room, _Chad_.”

“Hold on.” Chad swallowed, and then pretended he was still on the phone with Audrey. He panicked, spinning a tale about how she had gotten a flat tire in Sherwood Forest on the way back from her retreat, knowing the place was too far away for him to get there and back in time for Cotillion. 

“Dude.” Carlos’ gaze wasn’t pitying, exactly, but he seemed close to it. “Sherwood Forest is like, six hours away. Just call her a tow truck.”

“No,” Chad sniffed, tried to pretend it was haughty but really he was just trying not to sob. “I have to show her I’m _dedicated_. Besides, this is what princes do – we rescue fair damsels.” And exit the situation like cowards, forgetting the dumb crown as he strolled forcefully out the door before Jay could show up and rub his charismatic, free-wheeling status in Chad’s face. 

Chad wanted to hunt him down, wanted to yell at him, wanted to _scream_ because Jay had been so wrong it wasn’t even funny, he’d been so wrong that Chad’s grandfather _and_ Audrey were all but done with him, and what had Jay gotten in return? The satisfaction of seeing Chad at his weakest. 

If this didn’t prove how big a fool he was, Chad didn’t know _what_ would. What had he been thinking – that he and Jay were friends? That Mal _liked_ him? It was madness – the lot of it.

And now Chad had to deal with reality in the manner in which he had become accustomed. Alone.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Because Chad was so brilliantly useless, he ended up on the beaches of Belle’s Harbor, biking to a private cove in his formal suit, the cape Evie lovingly made him tucked up underneath his hoody as he tried to find a place he could hide away until the excitement was over. Six hours to Sherwood Forest and Six hours back plus maybe an hour of working on Audrey’s fake car meant that he’d have to lay low for thirteen hours, or until five in the morning, if he wanted to pretend he drove through the night. This was what led him to stashing his bike in a cave that was too inconvenient to be accessed by most people, leaving Chad to bawl his eyes out curled against the trunk of a tree on the edge of where the sand shifted into dirt, curling up into a small ball to begin his wait. 

If he was smart, he would have brought a book or something, but he _wasn’t_ smart, which was why he had thought dating Jay was a good idea, which was why he had grown to like it, which was why his grandfather had to throw him into a trunk for a week to bring a reality check crashing down on him. Maybe Chad _should_ pass on his claim to the crown, but if he did that, he’d have nothing left. He needed _something_ to push him forward, and he wasn’t good enough to be motivated by his own merits.

Hours passed and night fell, making Chad wonder how Cotillion was going. He wondered how Mal would look being carefully guided around the dancefloor in Ben’s arms. He wondered how many girls Jay would dance with- then wondered how many _guys_ , which was a notion that made Chad so sick to his stomach that he had to abandon it immediately, overcome by a fresh wave of tears. 

It was dark by the time he caught a flash of brightness near the ocean’s edge, and he rubbed at his eyes fitfully in an attempt to see what, exactly, it was. He tensed when he realized it wasn’t a _what_ so much as a _who_ , and before he knew it, he was stumbling into the shallows, formal suit be damned as he rushed to help the young lady get out of the ocean.

“ _Holy fuck_ ,” she said when he drew closer to her, about knee-deep in the water. It was her dress that had caught his eye – that and her hair, both being a brilliant shade of turquoise that were drenched with saltwater. “That was way more exhausting than I thought it’d be.”

“Are you okay?”

She blinked up at him in surprise, as though she hadn’t expected company, and Chad took that opportunity to guide one of her arms around his neck, taking some of her weight so she could make it safely back to shore.

Instead of answering his question, she just sort of stared at him. “…You’re a prince.”

Chad felt himself blush. At some point, he’d abandoned his hoody and cloak, leaving him in the formal dress suit that marked him distinctly as the heir to Sardinia. “Yeah.”

“But you weren’t at that party,” she continued.

_That_ was concerning. “You were?” he asked, pulling them towards the shallows. The water was at their shins now. “Did you fall overboard?”

“Something like that,” she said, and Chad decided to let her have her secrets, because he’d be embarrassed if he’d fallen overboard too. Not as embarrassed as he was getting ditched like, an hour before the party, but still not great.

“Do you need to call someone?” Chad asked. He probably should have taken off his shoes before running to her, but there was no point in bemoaning wet socks now. “I have a phone you can borrow.”

Hers was likely all wet.

When they strolled onto dry sand, she stopped, forcibly pulling herself away from him so they could square off in that particular way Mal and the others did sometimes. “Why the fuck are you being so helpful?”

That, at least, was a familiar question. “Because it’s the right thing to do?” Chad offered and then, when she continued to look unimpressed, he added, “I also wanted to feel… useful, I guess.”

“Yeah?” she cocked a brow at him. “That have anything to do with…” She motioned towards the tear tracks that had likely dried on Chad’s cheeks, and with a new sense of shame, Chad tried to rub them away.

“Sort of,” he allowed.

The girl rolled her eyes. “What the fuck does a _prince_ have to be sad about?”

When she put it like that, Chad’s problems seemed especially petty. “Sorry,” he offered on reflex. “I um… I got ditched, so…”

“Ditched?” she echoed. “What’s that mean?”

“It um… means that someone made a commitment to me that they uh- disregarded at the last minute,” he explained, feeling like he was talking to Mal, in a way.

The girl propped her hands on her hips, narrowing her gaze at him. “That seems like grounds for a good stabbing, to me.”

“I can’t- I’m not stabbing _Audrey_.” The very prospect of it seemed ludicrous. “Besides, it was my fault anyway. I’m the stupid person who got his hopes up.” He rubbed at his cheeks once more, just in case he had missed anything. “Um… are you cold?”

The girl released a weary sigh. “This again?” 

Chad felt himself flush. “If you don’t want my help, you can just say so. I’m good at respecting boundaries.”

He had to be, because there were just so many of them.

There was that unimpressed look again. “Blondie, if you knew who I was, you wouldn’t _want_ to help me.”

“You couldn’t know that for sure,” Chad said. Like, obviously this was one of the many classmates he had never spoken to because he didn’t recognize who she was – maybe the daughter of a sidekick, if she’d only recognized him as a _prince_ instead of _Chad_. 

“Sure I would,” the girl scoffed. “What prince would want to help out the daughter of Ursula the sea witch?”

Chad paused, letting the words wash over him. “Oh, so Ben _did_ manage to get more VKs over from the Isle. Were you a surprise for Cotillion?”

The daughter of Ursula stared at him as though he had grown a second head. “No, I snuck off the Isle when Mal and her crew decided to come back for a visit.”

That was… huh. Chad didn’t know what was a thing that could be done.

“That’s fine,” he said, suddenly understanding why she’d been swimming in the ocean. Of _course_ she was excited. “Technically, your containment to the Isle is a crime anyway – we just need to get you claimed as a refugee and they won’t be able to send you back.” He rubbed his chin, trying to plan out the logistics of it. “Did anyone else come over with you?”

She stared at him with narrowed eyes. “My ‘containment’ is a _crime_ , eh?”

Chad made a face. “It’s delicate, because the laws that set up the Isle in the first place technically establish it as a land unto itself where no laws apply – meaning that Auradon isn’t under any commitment to react to anything that happens there.”

“Yeah,” she huffed under her breath, folding her arms across her chest. “I got that.”

Right. “So really, it’s the _establishment_ of a system that could allow for the abuse of civilians that have committed no crimes in Auradon that’s the issue, and correcting _that_ takes… a lot of time.” Chad didn’t know for sure, because he wasn’t actually friends with Ben. “The stop-gap measure was to bring over more VKs slowly but surely until they fixed the system altogether.”

“Well, your buddy boy _Ben_ forgot the part where he got us out of that hell hole!” she snapped, jaw tightening.

Ben had… but it was _Ben_. Granted, Ben was only human, but he’d said he was bringing over more VKs. He’d _promised_.

“Then… we have to go by council consensus,” Chad murmured, mind trying to move five steps ahead.

“What?” the teen pressed, staring at him in that intense way again.

“If things aren’t being carried out via order of the king,” Chad explained. “Then we can achieve similar means with a council consensus. If we can get a majority of the council to back legislature that moves to get the kids off the Isle, then we can get something done whether Ben acts on it or not.”

“So let me get this straight,” the girl pressed. “You actually _want_ to get the kids off the Isle?”

“Of course.” Chad blinked. “They’re kids. They- _you_ didn’t do anything wrong.”

She stared at him for a hard moment, and it was like the very pieces of Chad’s soul were being investigated, every part of him looked over in a rigid evaluation that left him wavering with uncertainty.

“Okay,” she said after a long moment. “Let’s put your money where your mouth is. You want to be useful? Do the damn job your king wouldn’t do.”

“I’ll try,” Chad said, had to explain. “I’ve got to warn you now, though, I’m not very smart, or good at talking to people-”

“You talked to me just fine,” she insisted with a raised brow. “Just do that.”

Oh. He hadn’t thought of it like that.

“Okay,” he said finally. “Okay, we’ll get things fixed up.” As he did every time he encountered an immense problem, he broke it down into smaller, more achievable pieces. “First, we’ve got to get you claimed as a refugee.”

Uma cocked her head to the side. “About that…”

That was how he came to learn the whole sordid tale of Ben’s kidnapping and rescue, then Uma’s attempted love spelling and the attack at Cotillion and how she had ended up on his beach.

“…yikes,” Chad said when it was finally all over. “Hold on.”

He got out his phone, talked her through what he was doing. Ben was a decent guy, so there was a good chance he would dismiss any formal charges that were placed against Uma out of sympathy. Chad used the backdoor he had bribed his way into getting for the digital United Auradon paper trail and confirmed what he had already guessed. Ben’s parents and Mal likely wouldn’t be happy about it, but that gave them the benefit of Uma keeping her clean slate in Auradon. _That_ was what mattered.

Now onto the issue of getting her claimed as a refugee so she could have rights.

“Do you feel up for another swim?” Chad asked, eyeing the ocean carefully. “We need to go east, to Corona.”

“What’s in Corona?” she asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

“A sympathetic queen with a prison reform system that actually works,” Chad said, getting more behind the idea. “We can keep your presence a secret, but if anyone would claim you as a refugee, it’s Queen Rapunzel. Her husband was a conman.”

“Huh.” She grinned. “That seems promising.”

“I hope so,” Chad said. This was already going better than the lonely night of heartbreak he’d been anticipating.

“So, what?” Uma pressed. “Do you want me to drag your ass along behind me all the way to another kingdom? You’re not afraid I’ll ditch you in the middle of the ocean?”

“I mean, you might,” Chad allowed. “But you seem to really care about your crew, so you probably won’t do that if it means you can help them.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You princes are all obnoxious,” she decided.

Chad did not disagree. Audrey said he was obnoxious all the time.

“My name’s Chad,” he said when he finally realized he hadn’t actually introduced himself, too used to people knowing who he was before he’d even met them. “What’s your name?”

She paused at the edge of the water, her lips parting in a mischievous grin. “It’s Uma.”

“Nice to meet you, Uma.” He offered his hand out for her to shake, and after a moment, she accepted it, her fingers calloused and scarred, much like Jay and Mal’s. 

“Likewise, maybe,” she allowed, and then she was dragging him out into the water, seeming to hold her head just a little bit higher.

Perhaps Chad should be scared, but really, he just felt impowered. He was going to do something. He was going to make a _difference_. 

-:-:-:-:-:-

By the time they got to Corona, Chad was overwhelmed with both terror and exhilaration. Uma had cut through the water like a rocket, and while Chad could already feel bruises beginning to form from where her tentacle had been wrapped around him (that had been something – _tentacles_ ), he sensed that she had exerted a certain level of care to part the water around him, to provide less drag so he wouldn’t be as battered when they reached shore again. 

When they clambered up onto an isolated dock, Uma’s chest was heaving from exertion, and Chad wasted no time looping her arm across his shoulders once more, curling an arm around her waist so he could take the majority of her weight as they limped up the dock.

“Don’t worry,” he was telling her, keeping his voice low. “We’ll find some place out of the way where you can rest and I’ll seek an audience with the king and queen. I’ll get things cleared up so you don’t have to worry about them trying to arrest you.”

“Awfully kind of you, Prince Chadwick,” a voice said from the shadows, which was all the warning Chad got before they were surrounded by royal guards. Chad looked towards where the voice had originated from and caught King Eugene fluttering his fingers in a lazy greeting, Queen Rapunzel looking concerned beside him. “May I ask _why_ you would do such a thing?”

“Ben didn’t place any formal charges against her,” Chad explained, shifting so that he could block as much of Uma from view as possible. “You can check for yourself.”

“We will,” Queen Rapunzel said, nodding towards a slighter gentleman in the shadows that Chad hadn’t seen before, a thick pair of engineer’s goggles on his head.

“How did you know we were here?” Uma growled, her body wracked with tension.

“Well…” King Eugene began with a grin. “Turns out, after your crown princess gets kidnapped by a proficient magic user, some kingdoms are a bit paranoid about that stuff and set up a magic detection system. Sort of like an alarm, if you will.”

Oh. _Fuck_. Chad hadn’t known that. It made sense, but he hadn’t been banking on Corona knowing they were coming. It made him want to release a deluge of apologies to Uma, even if he knew the action was useless. He’d betrayed her trust, however unwillingly. 

“He’s right,” Goggle Guy said, staring at his phone. “King Ben declined to press formal charges. There’s a request to report any sightings of her, but no outstanding charges.”

“Please, don’t.” Chad was pretty sure exercising basic manners wouldn’t help with political maneuvering, but it was the only thing he had going for him. “ _Please_. Uma… made some bad choices.” There was no denying that. “But she only did it because she didn’t see any other options. Because she was trying to protect the other kids trapped on the Isle who don’t deserve to be there.”

Queen Rapunzel considered him for a hard moment, her assessment almost as painful as Uma’s – and it was strange, to be so carefully evaluated, to be regarded so _purely_ not only once, but twice in one evening. No one generally bothered to extend that much effort towards Chad. 

It made him wonder if this was how Ben felt all the time.

Eventually, she nodded. “Why don’t we continue this conversation inside?”

It wasn’t really a question, so Chad didn’t hesitate to guide Uma after the King and Queen, the royal guard and Goggle Guy moving to surround them. 

There was also a very serious-looking horse without a rider – maybe Maximus? Ruby talked about him sometimes.

King Eugene was the one to dismiss the guards when they got to an unobtrusive entrance to the castle. Two remained behind as escorts as they traveled rarely-used passages to eventually arrive at a sitting room. 

Queen Rapunzel turned towards one of the guards. “Could you fetch Nigel, please? Tell him to prepare the guest rooms; and we’ll need towels.”

“You don’t have to wait for the towels to have a seat though,” King Eugene said lazily, flopping down onto one of the couches. “Goodness knows that furniture’s been through worse than a little sea water.”

Uma tensed the same way Mal used to do when she was ready to snarl at someone, so Chad squeezed her arm gently, trying to get her to prioritize. This was _important_.

“Thank you, your majesty,” Chad said, lowering Uma and himself down onto the couch across from the king, pretending to ignore the way the king gasped in delight at being reminded of his status. 

Ruby always said her dad was a little weird, but like, _‘in a good way_ ’. Chad just hoped that good part would pull through today.

“Alright, Chad,” Queen Rapunzel said, sitting beside her husband with a quiet sort of grace. “Why are you here?”

There was no point in beating around the bush. “We need your help,” he explained, Uma tensing once more at the last word. “Uma needs to be claimed as a refugee for Corona.”

“Not to play the devil’s advocate here,” King Eugene spoke up with a lazy wave of his hand. “But have you, by chance, been _spelled_ into helping this young lady?”

“What?” In hindsight, it wasn’t an unfair question, Chad just didn’t think he gave off the disposition of being spelled. “ _No_.”

“Not sure why I asked,” the king mused, though it seemed mostly to be to himself. “It’s not like you would have said ‘yes’ if you were.”

“What Eugene _means_ is that we’d like to clear you of that doubt,” Queen Rapunzel explained, loosing a golden tendril of hair from her long braid. “Just wrap this around your wrist and we can move on.”

Chad didn’t shoot Uma a look because he didn’t want to cast more suspicions upon her. He wrapped the silky strands around his wrist as instructed, and watched in wonder as they glowed to life, the queen humming a familiar song under her breath. 

Chad felt the magic pulse through him, sort of hugging him like an old friend. He felt the bruises he had accumulated on the trip over fade away until he was unblemished, and he tried to savor it while he forced himself to let go, putting his hands back into his lap like the good prince he was. 

When he looked back to the king and queen, they were staring at him expectantly. 

Chad shrugged. “Still not spelled.”

“Huh.” That made the king actually sit up, regarding Uma. “So you saw everything that happened and thought ‘this is a cry for help’, instead of being scared.”

“He wasn’t _there_ , nimrod,” Uma snapped, unable to hold her peace any longer. “I found him moping on the beach. _He’s_ the one that offered to help me even after I told him everything I did.”

“The kids don’t deserve to be on the Isle, your majesties,” Chad said, trying to get things back on track and hoping they wouldn’t dig into his pity party at the beach. “I think we can all agree to that. They haven’t committed any crimes in Auradon to warrant their confinement. And yes, I know there was some… concern about the way they were brought up, but Mal and the others have already proven that they can choose to be good.”

“And if they choose to be bad?” King Eugene offered, raising one brow.

“Then they had the choice,” Chad said. “Just like anyone in Auradon had that choice.”

The queen regarded him carefully. “You are very dedicated to this cause.”

Chad felt himself blush. “It’s just… it’s the right thing to do. Ben made me see that. He was supposed to be working on bringing more kids over from the Isle-”

“But he hasn’t done it,” Uma cut in, crossing her arms. “And the life expectancy for a minor isn’t exactly _great_ on the Isle. We don’t need four or five kids taken over at a time, we need _all_ of them free.”

“Anyone who hasn’t committed a crime in Auradon,” Chad clarified, knowing full well the VKs had to commit many crimes on the Isle just to survive. “I… I want to try and get a council consensus to start reforms, but Uma needs to be claimed as a refugee first.”

“So she won’t get sent back,” the queen surmised. “Do you have a plan?” she asked. “To get a majority?”

“…no,” Chad admitted. He’d been counting on Ben to do that, which was lazy. “But I can make one. I mean- Uma knows what the kids will actually need when they get off the Isle,” he explained, motioning to her. “Between her knowledge and my understanding of basic legislature, we can draft something to present to the other kingdoms. If we have a _plan_ for how to integrate the kids into Auradon, then they might be more likely to back us.”

“True,” King Eugene hummed. “But we – the council – have been attempting to do just that for the past six months, ever since we learned about the VKs’ existence. And let me tell you, we have gotten _nowhere_.”

“Because you don’t have a plan,” Chad pressed. “Because… because you’re addressing the issue as a group. But really, this issue needs to be addressed on an individual basis, without the pressure of other royals. If we can approach the kingdoms individually, they might be willing to hear us out and give their backing, and _then_ we can take the legislature to the council, propose it, and have a majority.” 

“That could work,” Queen Rapunzel said noncommittally. “Who would you start with?”

“I’d… start with the definite supporters first,” Chad decided. “Get them aware of what was happening so they could help grease the wheels for the kingdoms that are on the fence. So… um- Corona,” he said, looking to the king and queen and seeing them nod, both wearing small smiles. “And then if we can get you guys, we could get Arendelle and Deep Jungle, since they’re family.” All cousins, though King Tarzan was younger than his sisters. “And we could probably get Agrabah, due to Lord Consort Aladdin’s criminal background, and if we got them, we’d get Apheliotia for sure.” Lord Aladdin and King Hercules went way back. “And Notre Dame would likely follow due to its close friendship and proximity to Apheliotia.”

“If you got Apheliotia, you’d also get Westerly,” King Eugene mused. “Since Queen Ariel and King Hercules are distant cousins. And if you got Westerly, you’d get Atlantica, and with them, Atlantis.”

That was… already a lot.

“Maldonia is already on your side,” Queen Rapunzel spoke up gently. “Queen Tiana has been preaching reform for years. As has Queen Snow, Queen Merida, and General Fa.”

“That’s over ten,” Uma noted with a furrow of her brows. “If you’ve got that many onboard to help, why the hell haven’t you done anything already?”

“Because there’s a strong enough opposition to convince the kingdoms that are on the fence to play it safe,” Queen Rapunzel explained, like she’d been expecting this question. “The most negative minority are generally the loudest. Our enemies in this task are Ulstead, Auroria, Sardinia-” She gave Chad a pitying look, but he knew full well the extent of his grandfather’s opinions on the Isle. “-Andalasia, Merroway Cove, Weselton, Equis, and the Southern Isles.” 

“Their numbers are fewer, but they are _loud_ ,” King Eugene said with a sigh. “Loud enough to play on people’s fear.”

“You’ll need to meet with the kingdoms that are erring on the side of caution,” the queen cut in. “Roland is a great King for Enchancia, but he’s not one to make waves. _Change_ his mind. Show him that there are stakes.”

“Princess Elena of Avalor will be all for helping us,” the king said. “But she’s young. It’s her grandparents you have to win over, and they’re still resettling their kingdom after Shuriki’s habitation. You’ll have to make them see that the children of the Isle are just as repressed as their own citizens had been under Suriki’s rule.”

“If you can get them, you can get the others,” Queen Rapunzel said, smile stretching wide. “Hakalo, Cordoba, Prydain, Montunui, Freezenburg, Port Royal, Inca, Tangu, Wei-Ling, Khaldoun – show them that their votes _matter_.” 

“You keep telling _him_ to do this,” Uma interrupted with a frown. “Aren’t you guys going to do anything?”

The king and queen shared a look. “As members of the council, we aren’t officially allowed to reach out to other council members regarding legislature that should be presented to the united kingdoms.”

“Doesn’t stop Phillip from doing it,” King Eugene grumbled, letting out a small ‘ _oof’_ when the queen elbowed him in the side.

“ _Technically_ ,” the queen began. “-our hands are tied. But yours aren’t.”

‘Yours’, as in Chad’s, because Uma still had a report-on-sight order on her. It was- they wanted to leave it up to _him_.

“You can do this, Chad,” the king said, as though reading his panic. “You already sold us on it. You just have to do it again. And again. And _again_.”

“We’ll support you any way we can,” Queen Rapunzel said brightly, cutting her husband off. “Whatever it takes to keep your efforts as off the radar as possible.”

“Yeah,” the king scoffed. “If any of those objecting kingdoms catch wind of this, they will raise and amazing stink over it.”

Anxiety was encroaching upon Chad, so he broke the issue down into what he _could_ handle. “I… I’ll need help with transport.”

“You don’t have a car?” the king asked, seeming confused. “I thought you were Ruby’s age.”

A swell of shame blossomed behind Chad’s cheeks. “My um… grandfather doesn’t trust me with that.”

“Of course he doesn’t,” the king sighed. “He probably saw you being a progressive member of society and thought _‘how do I stop this?_ ’.”

“ _Eugene_ ,” the queen hissed, giving his arm a light smack before turning back to Chad. “We can help you with that. Like I said, whatever you need.”

“And you’ll claim Uma as a refugee?” Chad pressed, bringing the Isle teen that had been so quiet back into the conversation.

Queen Rapunzel nodded. “We’ll get started on the paperwork now.”

“Look at us,” King Eugene drawled as he ushered them to their feet, ready to guide them towards some kind of office. “I thought Ben would have this shit sorted before we resorted to a council consensus, but desperate times…”

“We’ll do what needs to be done,” the queen said, giving them a careful look. “Between you two, we’ll get it done.”

It was all Chad could ask for. The chance to do something _useful_. The chance to be _more_.

Maybe if he helped fixed things, Audrey wouldn’t consider him tainted. Maybe she’d like him again. It wasn’t his sole motivation for taking this on, but it was definitely a factor.

And. Well. There were worse reasons to do things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the generous feedback! Your enthusiasm and support are always a great bolster to my day, and they are deeply appreciated!!
> 
> Story notes: 
> 
> I feel like the mess of events that happened in Descendants 2 could be explained by Ben/Mal both being emotionally compromised, Jay too- and having them spurred towards this by their distance with Chad seemed like a logical explanation to me.
> 
> For those of you unfamiliar with ‘Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventures’, the guy with the goggles is Varian – a genius, engineer character who I decided is also good with computers. 
> 
> To clarify, ‘cuz I’m not sure if it came across, Rapunzel and Eugene aren’t being lazy here, they’re sort of testing Chad’s commitment and his knowledge/determination to finish evaluating him. They don’t know much about him besides his reputation, and it isn’t that good. 
> 
> I found Apheliotia on a fan map? I decided it would represent Greece. The same logic went for Westerly, which is what I decided to name Eric and Ariel’s kingdom, as it did not have an official name. 
> 
> Won’t lie, a lot of these kingdoms were snagged from Sofia the First. I included Andalasia as a ‘bad guy’ assuming it was still under the rule of the evil queen Narissa. 
> 
> Until next time :)


	6. Thirteen Months Ago – Part 2

-:-:-:-:-:-

_Present Day_

-:-:-:-:-:-

It was a majestic day when Chad finally managed to climb, leap, and fling himself up to the top of Mal’s tall wardrobe. He had thought being up so high would be intimidating, but instead he felt accomplished – safe in his position above everything else. If someone wanted to get to him up here they’d have to _work_ for it, and he liked that. It made him feel comfortable despite the dust, and he was contemplating taking a nap when the door to Mal and Ben’s room opened up. 

He pressed himself low to the top of the wardrobe, creeping forward so he could _just_ peek over the ornamental decoration at the top of the furniture piece in time to see Ben and Jay… fighting with each other? They were definitely wrestling, or something, making their way close to the bed-

Chad’s stomach dropped when he realized _what_ , exactly, they were doing. 

Ben and Jay were kissing, groping at each other’s clothes and pressing against each other in a desperate heat that Chad didn’t need to see. Just- what they did was their own business but what about Mal? Chad and Mal might not be friends, but he _liked_ her, despite himself. She was bright and sparky and worked so hard to be a good Lady of the Court and now Ben was just _cheating_ on her. He was letting Jay push him back onto the bed he shared with _Mal_ , letting the ex-thief yank open the top few buttons of his shirt so Jay could start sucking on his neck. 

Chad lost himself to that for a few seconds, remembering how it had felt to ride the wave of Jay’s enthusiasm, the son of Jafar boxing Ben onto the bed so he could claim him – and then Chad remembered how _wrong_ that was and how _worse_ it was because they were cheating, slowly but surely stripping off clothes behind Mal’s back.

“It’ll be okay,” Jay was muttering between kisses, Ben whining into them. “It will be okay, Ben. We’ll find him, it will be fine.”

“Just-” Ben gasped, holding Jay close, a dark flush spilling across the bridge of his nose. “Stay, please. _Stay_.”

“I will,” Jay pledged, capturing Ben’s lips with an ease that indicated past experience.

Chad didn’t wait any longer before hopping off the top of the wardrobe. He wasn’t afraid of the distance this time, trusting his cat equilibrium to land him on his feet, and the moment his paws hit the carpeted floor he was off, exiting through the small crack in the door that led to the main room of the suite because they couldn’t even care enough to properly hide their deeds.

It made Chad feel lost – betrayed, certainly, because he’d always thought better of Ben. He’d had hope for Jay, but _Ben’s_ good nature had felt like a certainty, and now that was ripped away from Chad. It was like he had to reevaluate his entire world order and he just- couldn’t. 

So he didn’t. 

He focused on throwing together a new plan on the fly, dedicating himself to _that_ so he wouldn’t have to deal with his basic understanding of life falling apart. He needed to get Mal. He didn’t want to hurt her, but she deserved to know what was going on. And it _hurt_ , thinking of how wounded she would be, knowing that his nuzzles and soft purrs wouldn’t be enough to help her this time, but it needed to be done. As much as Chad loved Audrey, if they were together and she cheated on him, he’d want to know. He’d want to know what he did wrong so he could fix it, or if he couldn’t, let her go so she’d be happy. 

That was what led him to darting through the castle, moving at a furious pace before he remembered that Mal was probably with Uma. He course-corrected to the pirates’ suite and was greeted with the two girls laughing on the couch together, Uma showing Mal something on her phone. 

There were probably better ways of getting attention than running up, letting out his best cat wail before tugging at Mal’s skirt, but that was all Chad had the coherency to manage. 

“What the-?” Mal blinked down at him, watching as he pointedly tugged her skirt back towards the door. “Is something wrong, buddy?”

Chad let out a _meow_ in confirmation, then grabbed her skirt again.

“Hey, no- stop that,” Mal ordered, tapping his head gently. “I’ll follow you, just-”

Chad let her go, scurrying back towards the door before releasing another testy _meow_. There was no time. Who knew how long Ben and Jay would be _canoodling_.

“That is one determined cat,” Uma drawled, and then _she_ was getting to her feet too, which- maybe Chad should stop this but also he just needed Mal and he didn’t have the focus to try and push Uma away so he ended up doing nothing, waiting for Mal and Uma to follow him before darting back down the hallway.

“Hey!” Mal called after him as he paced in front of Ben’s door. “Did something happen to Ben?”

At that point, Chad chose to say nothing, raising up on his back legs so he could batt at the door with his front paws. 

“ _Damnit_ ,” Mal hissed under her breath, sharing a look with Uma. The captain nodded, cradling her shell necklace in her hand before Mal pushed the door open, striding determinately through the sitting room as she made a beeline for the master bedroom. 

Chad tried to run interference with Uma, but that only resulted in him getting picked up, the pirate using one arm to tuck him against her chest while the two sorceresses barged through the grand doors to the bedroom.

There was a moment where everyone was frozen – Mal and Uma staring at Ben and Jay, who were now completely _naked_ , their um- arousals being pumped together by one of Jay’s calloused hands while Ben writhed under him, lips parted in a desperate pant. When they caught sight of Mal and Uma, the blushed furiously, but… didn’t pull apart?

And then Mal was laughing.

Not like, hysterical laughing. It was genuine, gut busting, delightfully amused _laughter_ , her head thrown back as the weight of her enjoyment shuddered through her.

“Oh, sweet evil,” she giggled, rubbing mirthful tears from her eyes. “You dipshits have to check the room for Shadow before you have sex, alright? Because he- he must have-”

“Oh, fuck,” Uma laughed, collapsing against Mal as they just sort of giggled together. “He thought- he must have thought they were _fighting._ ”

“I mean,” Mal snorted. “They certainly get enthusiastic enough.”

“ _Guys_ ,” Ben groaned, hiding his face in one hand. “Could you please just-”

“Oh _no_ ,” Mal declared, tugging Uma over towards her desk, pulling the chair out and angling it so it would face the bed. “You don’t take proper precautions – get us all worried you’re being _attacked_ or something – you get to put on a show.”

“Works for me,” Jay drawled, nuzzling Ben’s throat as he started moving his hand again. “His majesty performs better with an audience anyway.”

What. Was. Happening.

“Think of this as a sample,” Mal said as she gestured for Uma to sit down, deciding to perch on the edge of her desk as they watched the two guys just… go at it. “If you decide to- you know.”

“We’re still talking about it,” Uma hummed, cradling Chad closer to her chest and petting a hand down his back. “I’m not sure Jay and Harry would get along.”

“I think they’d manage,” Mal drawled. “With the right motivation.” She tilted her head pointedly to where Ben was spreading his legs, hips jutting into Jay’s attention with a soft moan. “I think that’s pretty encouraging, don’t you?”

“It sure as shit isn’t a detriment,” Uma replied, continuing to trade conversation like she was discussing the weather. Chad didn’t have any idea what they were talking about, or what was even going on. He had the feeling that if Mal was amused then Jay and Ben must have permission to have sex with each other or something, but based on what she was saying with Uma… did Mal want to include Gil and Harry in this too? Were they _practicing_?

“Good boy, Shadow,” Mal whispered as she scratched behind his ears, gaze shifting between him and the um- enthusiastic picture on the bed. “Go ahead and get me any time you see something like this.”

“You really think he can understand you?” Uma asked, seeming genuinely curious.

“Gil seems to think so,” Mal said, shrugging. “Couldn’t hurt to ask.”

“If it got you more of this, you mean?” Uma prompted, one brow raised.

Mal did not back down. “Sure,” she chirped. “It’s a good view.”

“Pervert,” Uma said, but she was grinning, seemed delightfully pleased by the transaction.

Mal _winked_ at her. “You know it.”

So that was how Chad came to watch Ben and Jay have sex, and somehow, that wasn’t the strangest part of the transaction. He didn’t know what to think, only that he shouldn’t be seeing this- they wouldn’t want him to, but-

He was there, and he was only (internally) human. 

And he… he missed Jay, a little. _Just_ a little.

He refused to miss Ben. 

So. This was fine. It was _fine_. 

He had to hold onto that.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_13 Months Ago_

-:-:-:-:-:-

Because Corona had a way of fast-tracking paperwork via royal decree in cases of extreme emergency, filing the paperwork for Uma to be claimed as a refugee was the work of maybe ten minutes. This paperwork was then filed and sealed in Corona’s private records, and then the copy that was supposed to be sent to Auradon was conveniently ‘lost’, and would remain that way until Ben rescinded the report-on-sight order for Uma. 

Chad had to hand it to Ruby’s parents, they were crafty and efficient people. Made him wish some of their moxy might rub off on him one day.

“ _Now_ ,” King Eugene declared as he ushered them out of his office. “Let’s get you guys some food and dry clothes like good hosts instead of dedicated interrogators.”

The queen sighed. “ _Eugene_.”

“All for the sake of national security, of course,” the king dismissed with a wave of his hand. “So, how do you guys feel about pizza?”

As lost as Chad felt at the sudden change of pace, Uma seemed to be even more listless, coming to a halt in the middle of the hallway. “That’s it?” she said, her hands curling into fists. “You guys have one conversation and decide that we’re all friends, now?”

The king considered her carefully. “We’re allies more than anything else,” he settled on. “We all want the same thing here, Captain. And I know it must be frustrating that we can’t come up with a more expedient resolution, but if you work _with us_ while Chad meets with the other kingdoms, we can have solutions prepped and ready to go by the time the council passes the legislature. You are integral to that. Blondie and I-” He motioned to the queen. “-and even Chad, don’t have the slightest idea what the children of the Isle will need. You do. It’s up to you to help us get them settled, to help create protections for them.”

“I know you can do it,” Queen Rapunzel said quietly. “You’ve already proven yourself dedicated to your cause a million times over. We can’t just drop the barrier – you know better than us that some of those villains _need_ to be there – but we can get the kids off. And then from there, we can work towards even more reforms, but first-”

“The kids,” Uma interrupted with a slow nod. “…fine. I still think it’s ludicrous that you trust me.”

The king hummed. “You’ll be pleased to know that we don’t. At least, not entirely.” He grinned. “I don’t doubt that your heart’s in the right place, but we _do_ have one condition for you staying here.”

“Aside from following our basic laws,” the queen added. “That shell necklace-”

“ _No_.” Uma’s hands curled around it in an instant, clutching it close to her. “No, you can’t have it.”

“ _We_ don’t want it,” the king replied brightly, catching Uma off-guard. “But we do know it’s a magical artifact of great power. It’s what set off the magic-detection alarm, actually.”

“We want to trust you,” Queen Rapunzel said. “But we also don’t want you to be tempted when this process drags on for longer than expected.”

“And how long do you think this will take?” Uma snapped.

The king’s face contorted into a look of concentration. “I dunno – probably a year at the soonest.”

“A _year?_ ”

“So you can see why we’re concerned,” Queen Rapunzel continued. “We’re not asking you to completely disarm yourself in unfamiliar territory. You’ll still be allowed any weapons that make you comfortable, but…” She shared a look with her husband, then nodded. “We’d like you to leave your necklace with Chad.”

“Um…” Chad blinked, taken off guard by his inclusion. “ _What?_ ”

“You’ve trusted him this far,” King Eugene said. “And he clearly trusts you.”

“We’re not asking you to give up your magic completely,” the queen said. “I know it’s a part of you, like this-” She motioned to her thick braid. “-is a part of me. But we’d like to restrict your usage to when Chad is present.”

“For a probationary period,” the king said. “We’re not total assholes, we’re just-”

“ _Practical_ ,” Uma snarled, her shoulders hunching defensively. And yet, it didn’t look like she was ready to run. It was more like she knew they were right but was reluctant to surrender to that. “…I want a sword before I hand it over.”

“Done.” The king grinned. “I’ll do you one better and include dry clothes and a shower.”

Uma made a face. “What’s a shower?” 

“Oh, my darling dewdrop,” King Eugene gasped, though thankfully the queen batted him away with a wide smile.

“Ignore him,” she said. “It’s something you should have always had access to, and we are glad to be able to provide you with one.”

“Well, if they’re _that_ good, I suppose I can take a look,” Uma allowed, and that was how Chad and Uma came to be shepherded towards a guest suite for visiting royals by the king and queen of Corona, exhausted and emotionally drained but… good?

Yes, this seemed good. Or at the very least, promising.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“We’ll have Nigel bring you fresh clothes,” Queen Rapunzel said as she motioned Uma towards what would be her room. “And you can turn in your dress for cleaning if you’d like or-”

“I’ll hold onto it,” Uma said as she examined the space, both brows raising as she evaluated the fancy room, done in the familiar purple and golds of Corona.

“Cool,” King Eugene chirped. “In that case, I’ll just show Chad to his room next door-”

“Nope.” Uma shook her head, her expression of muted wonder replaced with one of stubborn insistence. “He’s staying.”

“Um…” It was weird to hear a king sound so completely baffled, and while Chad wanted to hold onto that novelty, he also decided it was best to move on before Uma blew a gasket out of exhaustion.

“It’s okay,” Chad said. “We’ll just take turns.”

Queen Rapunzel put a hand on the king’s shoulder before he could protest.

“Okay,” she said eventually, giving both of them a soft smile. “We’ll just arrange for those clothes, then.”

“And food!” the king said, making a swift recovery, and it wasn’t long before both of them disappeared back into the sitting room, then out into the hallway beyond that.

“Those fucks sure are chipper,” Uma drawled, though it mostly seemed to be for show. She was swaying on her feet, clearly at the end of her rope, and Chad wasted no time wrapping an arm around her once more, guiding her towards the large bathroom. “…the fuck?” The words left Uma’s lips distractedly, her brows furrowed as she took in the smooth tile and gleaming fixtures. “Is _this_ where royal people get clean?”

“Usually,” Chad said, setting her down on the ottoman positioned by one of the vanity mirrors so he could get the shower started up. Royals _usually_ used something like this, unless they were Chad, and got downgraded to cold water and a hose, or downgraded again to a bucket, unless he was doing a public appearance. 

It was one of the many reasons he loved school, because while he could lose his access to a comfy bed, his grandfather couldn’t restrict him from his _bathroom_ , with its glorious running water and heat and soft towels. 

“This is a shower,” Chad explained, motioning to the glassed-in stall. “It’s designed so that the water falls down on you from above – sort of like rain. It’s faster than a bath, and um… feels really good after a long day.”

“Which I’ve had,” Uma noted with a half-lidded gaze, watching in muted interest as Chad started up the gentle spray of water. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t think this would be how my day would end.”

“…hooray?” Chad tried. Up until now, he’d had confidence through the sheer need of _required action_ , but now that the plans had been settled, he was just dumb Chad again. “Um… there’s shower gel in here, which is basically soap. You use that on your body and um- there’s also shampoo and conditioner for your hair, and it looks like there’s some face wash too – that stuff’s usually more gentle than the stuff you’d use on your body-”

“I’ll figure it out,” Uma declared, standing up with a slow stretch. “Now, you watch the door while I test out this thing.”

“Okay.” Chad nodded, moving to leave.

Uma cleared her throat. “Watch it from the _inside_ ,” she explained, where she could see him, but also _where he could see her_.

Chad felt his cheeks heat in a furious blush, but nodded nonetheless, curling up against the wall in a spot where he could keep an eye on the door and also _not_ see Uma in the reflection of the mirror. He felt painfully aware of the slap of wet clothing hitting the ground, the soundless _swing_ of the glass door as she climbed inside, and then a pleased groan of satisfaction when the warm water hit her body.

“Oh, _fuck_ ,” she moaned, voice reverberating off the clean tile. “No wonder the king was sad, this shit’s _awesome_.”

“Yeah,” Chad flushed. “It is.”

And _he_ would get one too. So that was something.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Uma insisted on returning the favor of keeping guard, curled in a large fluffy guest robe while she stared at the door, openly laughing at his shy antics. Chad knew from Jay and the others that bashfulness was a trait long-trained out of the Isle kids by necessity, but that didn’t make Chad any more comfortable bathing in front of a pretty girl he had just met that day. He wondered if this would add to his ‘tainted-ness’ and decided that this could be a secret Audrey never learned. It wouldn’t hurt her, and it wasn’t like Chad was _throwing_ himself at Uma, the way he’d done for Jay. That had been embarrassing. 

Chad was the one to exit the bedroom in a fluffy robe of his own to discover a delivery of clothes waiting near the entrance of the sitting room. It was sleepwear, of course, along with a selection of um- _underthings_ that Chad decided not to focus on when he brought the load back to the bedroom.

Uma didn’t hesitate to disrobe once she collected her clothes, forcing Chad to turn away and slide into his own pajamas. They were soft- _so soft_ , and big, likely intended for a larger person so the sleeves brushed against his knuckles and the pants dragged passed his heels, but it was still _comfortable_. Uma seemed similarly armed, though her pajamas were in turquoise and purple – the king and queen already learning how to appease her. 

“They left food, too,” Chad said, remembering the other delivery that had been waiting for them, and that was all the information Uma needed before moving back into the sitting room.

“What,” she began to ask, nudging the pizza box and assortment of snack foods with a furrowed brow. “-the fuck is this?”

“Pizza,” Chad said, his mouth already watering from the smell. How long had it been since he’d had pizza? It felt like forever. “It’s um- really good. I’ll just-”

And that was how they came to have a junk food picnic on the floor of the royal family guestroom, Uma’s face lighting up with wonder at each new bite of food between examinations of her new sword, which had been left along with the provisions.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Uma said through a yawn, stretching her arms over her head while Chad cleaned up their mess. “You Auradon assholes can get stuff like this? No wonder you’re so happy.”

Happiness was a relative thing, but Chad understood where she was coming from.

“Um…” Chad swallowed. “So… bedtime?”

“Yeah,” Uma sighed, rising to her feet in a soundless movement. 

Chad expected to part ways with her there, maybe finding the other bedroom shared in the suite, but she snagged his wrist when she walked by, pulling him back towards the original room. 

“Don’t get any big ideas,” she muttered, climbing under the comforter with a contented smile. “You’re here for security purposes. If they try to attack me, they’ll have to pause to make sure they hit the right person, which should give me time to wake up.”

“ _Um_ …” Chad didn’t feel as uneasy as he probably should have climbing into bed with her. The mattress was huge anyway. And _soft_. “…they’re not gonna attack you.”

“Yeah.” Uma yawned. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”

Exhaustion claimed Chad before he had a chance to respond, the toll of the day finally weighing on him, dragging him into a dreamless sleep. 

-:-:-:-:-:-

“…a summer program?” Chad asked, scanning the very official looking documents King Eugene had handed to him during breakfast. Uma didn’t attempt to be subtle as she read over his shoulder, leaning into his space and mouthing the words as she read them.

“For Ruby!” the king chirped, sharing a grin with his wife. “And you, of course. We have decided to extend an official invitation for you to stay over the course of the summer. On paper, it will be so that Ruby has an opportunity to work on her tutoring skills – thereby satisfying your credit for summer school.” Which Chad had, now and for as long as he could remember. His entire life seemed to be _books_ , which was amazing, since he seemed so bad at reading them. “But realistically, it’s so we’ll be able to more easily sneak you out to other kingdoms to gain support for your proposals.”

“I don’t think my grandfather will allow that,” Chad admitted, trying to be realistic.

For some reason, this made Queen Rapunzel’s gaze get sharper, even though she maintained an easy smile. “He’ll have to,” she assured him. “He could only decline on the concerns of maintaining your education, and since this proposal is to address that _exclusively_ , to decline it would be a slight against Corona.”

“And as little as he dislikes us,” King Eugene cut in. “He can’t actually afford to do that.”

“You’ll be packing up to go home in the next few days, right?” the queen asked, sorting through her papers.

“Um… no.” Chad handed off his own papers to Uma so he could poke at his food. “Fairy Godmother lets me stay on-campus for summer school. My tutors usually help me review in the library.”

There was a brief silence.

The king was the one that broke it. “ _Well_ ,” he said, a little too loudly. “That just means we can call him sooner, isn’t it? Summer’s about to start in a few days. We’ll send you back this morning before anyone realizes you’re missing, then contact you when we can pick you up again.”

It was more effort than Chad’s own family had extended for him in years, but Chad reminded himself that it was for the good of the kingdom, and that he shouldn’t get touched by it. Now was not the _time_. 

“Here.” The Queen passed something else over for Chad and Uma, and when the prince looked up, it was to see two new cellphones – one in purple, the other light blue. “I noticed your ride across the ocean trashed your other phone.”

Right. Chad hadn’t even taken it out of his suit pocket when he’d handed it over to the servants for cleaning.

“This way, you guys can talk to each other!” the king continued brightly. “We also built in a nice feature where neither of the devices can be tracked, so there won’t be any digital footprints of your summer expedition.”

“That…” Chad cradled the phone close to him, staring at it with a distinct swell of warmth building in his chest. “Thank you, your majesties. Thank you very much.”

“This doesn’t mean you own me,” Uma warned, levering a finger at them as she considered her own phone. Chad almost wanted to giggle if he didn’t know that her aggression had been cultivated for a reason.

As though knowing this, the king smiled. “Of course not, captain. We’re allies now, remember? Allies work together, and that includes arming each other with the necessary tools. In our case, it’s a phone. In your case, it’s knowledge of the Isle.”

Uma hummed, but decided to accept this explanation for what it was. 

It made Chad all the more aware of the shell necklace tucked underneath his shirt, seeming to buzz gently against his skin. Uma had handed it over after they’d finished getting ready that morning without a word, and Chad _knew_ what that meant for her, knew that she only managed it because of how much she cared about the Isle.

“This is the start of a lovely con,” the king continued with a bright smile. “Here’s to hoping we pull it off.”

“We’re going to,” the queen pledged, her expression serene, but gaze almost as serious as Uma’s. “ _This_ time, we’re going to.”

Honestly, that was all that needed to be said.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chad didn’t end up going back to school. 

He suspected Queen Rapunzel kept him around because he made Uma more at ease. She’d guided them to a private library that had all the applicable Auradon law books they would need to begin working on their proposals, along with updated information on all the kingdoms’ current economic statuses, their employment rates, the number of homeless – all to get a general feel for how a sudden influx of children would affect any and all of them. They threw themselves into the work, Queen Rapunzel working alongside them, until before they knew it, it was lunchtime. And then dinner time. And then the king was forcing _all_ of them to go to bed.

They must have sent someone to the school to pack up his things _for_ him because they arrived sometime the next day, and Uma sort of helped Chad unpack while she also sort of helped herself to some of his clothes, not that he minded. It was actually sort of nice to see her walking around in one of his light blue sweaters, the soft material standing out against her dark skin.

This wasn’t what he’d expected to come from Cotillion, but… he couldn’t find it in himself to be upset. This was ultimately better. He was proving himself and helping Ben, and while Chad knew he couldn’t- _shouldn’t_ touch Ben, _ever_ , it was nice to be able to help despite being a certified idiot. And with Uma by his side, he seemed to be getting a little bit smarter every day.

Things could only get better from here. He hoped.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_Present Day_

-:-:-:-:-:-

Uma scratches were the best scratches. Chad gave Gil the credit he was due as being his first friend – the one who had taken him in and essentially-loved him without question – so he always came first, but Chad had to admit there was nothing quite like spending an afternoon sprawled in Uma’s lap while the pirate scritch-scratched behind his ears. Chad himself would have never ranked that amount of attention, but it was something he greatly looked forward to as Shadow the cat. 

He liked it even more when Uma was bundled on the couch between Gil and Harry, her legs spread across Harry’s lap while she pressed into Gil’s side so the blond could offer Chad the occasional rub, making it a lovely afternoon. 

Things were progressing in a wonderfully lazy fashion until Mal spoke up from the other side of the room, where she and Jay were attempting to tag-team Ben in a game of dominos. “Hey, turn that up, would you?”

It was rare for Harry to comply without making some sort of snarky comment, so Chad cracked one of his eyes open to see what was so interesting, and caught a picture of his human self splayed across the television screen in what seemed to be some sort of news update.

“ _-Prince Chadwick was last seen exiting the Central Bus Depot in Auradon City_ ,” the newscaster informed them. “ _This is the last recorded footage we have of the prince before he went missing_.” His picture was replaced with the grainy public security footage from the camera stationed inside the bus depot, and sure enough there he was, cap pulled low, wearing the nondescript hoody he had ditched as soon as he’d gotten close to Auradon castle. “ _Private sources indicate that Prince Chadwick was on his way to Auradon Castle at the invitation of King Benjamin before he went missing_. _To date, there is no new information regarding the prince’s status. As of right now King Christopher and Duke Francis of Sardinia have made no comment on the situation, though there seems to be a lot of unanswered questions regarding this disappearance. Why did Prince Chadwick use the bus system? Why was he traveling on foot? Did he have arrangements for another mode of transportation that went south? And more pressingly, is this disappearance an unhappy coincidence with the lowering of the barrier, or is someone trying to further sabotage the cause of the Isle refugees by targeting young royalty? We can do nothing but speculate at this point-_ ”

Harry muted the program before the anchor could continue, expression set in a serious frown as Chad let that information wash over him. He wasn’t surprised that his father and grandfather hadn’t made a statement yet- they likely wouldn’t, but he hadn’t considered that his disappearance might be linked to the recent release of the villains. 

“What is this, Ben?” Mal had drifted closer to the television over the course of the newscast, and now stood hovering just over Harry’s shoulder. “You said you were looking for him-”

“I was,” Ben sighed, rising from the table, Jay following behind him so they could all stare at the tv. “I _am_. But when I turned up with nothing using conventional means – and Carlos – I had to file an official report with the Inspectors Office so they could launch a more detailed investigation.”

“And what, they have nothing?” The fact that Mal seemed legitimately upset by this surprised Chad, but then again, maybe it shouldn’t be that shocking at all, since his lack of presence could set back the rights she was trying to establish for the Isle refugees. “Are you saying he’s been gone for two weeks and _no one_ knows where he is?”

Chad rolled onto his back to get a better view of Ben, and was greeted with an expression that seemed to be trying painfully hard not to be defeated. “They’re investigating all avenues,” he said instead of ‘yes’.

“Just get the magic mirror out of the museum,” Mal snarled. “We use that, we could find him in a second-”

“The magic ban is still in effect, Mal,” Jay said quietly, his tone strangely detached. Maybe he was bored. “We can still use our magic, unofficially, but we can’t access any of our parents’ gear.” 

“Then let’s cast a damn _spell_ ,” Mal snapped, _snapped_ – but not for Chad. He had to remember that. She was worried about the VKs. “Uma, you feel like getting mystical?”

“Mal…” Jay didn’t sigh, but his neutral tone seemed to crack into something a little more wounded. “I um… already tried that.”

There was a pause, Uma’s hand stilling against Chad’s head while they all stared at Jay. 

Huh, that was awfully nice of him. 

“… _and?_ ” Mal said, cutting through Jay’s dramatic pause for the sake of practicality.

The other teen hesitated for a moment, and then- “I couldn’t find anything.”

“Of course you couldn’t.” Mal was rolling her eyes now. “But the three of us together-”

“There was magical interference,” Jay elaborated, making Mal stop short.

The queen to-be paused, staring at him as though he was unfathomable, then visibly regathered herself. “What do you mean there was magical interference?”

“I _mean_ ,” Jay said, jaw seeming to clench together in annoyance – maybe he was upset she doubted his skills. “That whatever took him didn’t want us to find him, and specifically accommodated for magical tracking.”

There was a tense pause.

Luckily, it was Uma that spoke up next, because it seemed like Mal was about to blow a gasket. “Are you saying that we’ve got- what? The next Maleficent on our hands? And they started with Chad?”

“Or Jafar,” Jay said, tone cold. “Or Evil Queen, or Ursula, or Dr. Facilier.”

“It doesn’t matter _who_ they are,” Mal snapped, her hands flexing into claw-like motions against her sides. “What matters is they took _Chad_. They hit us where it would hurt but there’s no way they would have _known_ it would hurt-”

“Calm down, poser,” Uma drawled, the only one crazy enough to taunt Mal when she was worked up like this, but Uma did it because she was a badass. “Don’t jump to conclusions. They may have just snagged blondie because they wanted a royal and he was easy pickings, walking on his own like that.”

“I wish we knew why he was on foot,” Ben muttered, seeming genuinely distressed that he was presented with a problem he could not immediately solve. “I’ve tried reaching out to Chad’s father but I keep getting the run around. No one wants to explain anything, and Carlos couldn’t find any text history to support Chad’s actions.”

“What are ye thinking?” Harry asked, perking up. “That maybe someone faked an account and told him he had to walk up?”

“Chad would do it, if he thought Ben wanted him to,” Mal declared, jaw clenched, though she seemed more composed now that she was working her way through the problem. “But if _Carlos_ couldn’t backtrack anything-”

“Maybe you’re thinking too high tech,” Uma offered. “There are such things as letters. Maybe someone slipped him a note.”

“If they did, it’d be in Sardinia,” Ben sighed. “There’s no way we’d get access to it, assuming it still even exists.”

“No way we’d get access by _asking_ ,” Mal said, a smirk growing on her face. “Maybe we could just… forget to do that. Have a look around.”

Ben’s expression fell. “ _Mal-_ ”

“We need to do something!” Mal pressed with a dramatic sweep of her arms. “Maybe Sardinia has its own private investigation going on, maybe they _don’t_ , but we need to do something proactive or I’m going to tear out of my damn _skin_.”

“And you’re surprised he didn’t tell you about the investigation,” Uma drawled, not so much as twitching when Mal bared her teeth at her. “Prissy pants- get over here and pet this cat. When you’ve calmed down we can come up with an _actual_ plan – one that highlights the benefits of _‘plausible deniability_ ’. Harry.” The first mate snapped to attention. “Take Ben on a walk, would you? Maybe help him with some… stress relief activities.”

That was likely code for _sparring with swords_ and Chad didn’t know what she was thinking – Ben couldn’t hold his shit together enough in this condition, he’d probably nick himself on the blade just preparing for a match, and yet-

And yet, he still nodded, cheeks flushing in embarrassment at having to be ordered to relax while Harry slid from the couch in a satisfied _prowl_ , deftly taking Ben’s hand before tugging the king from the room.

It took about two seconds for Mal to claim his spot, plopping down with a scowl. “You know sex doesn’t fix everything, right?” she offered as a total non-sequitur. 

Maybe she wanted Uma to feel as off balanced as she was.

The captain seemed unaffected by this drastic conversational change. “Maybe, but it can’t hurt.” Without asking, she scooped Chad up between her hands, depositing him into Mal’s lap before he could so much as meow a protest. 

Which he would have done, but then Mal started scratching him and Mal’s scratches were second only to Uma’s. 

“…at least I can keep you happy,” Mal muttered when Chad began to purr. She was right though – Cat Chad was easy to satisfy. He needed so very little. 

Because of that, he only listened with half an ear while they hashed out potential solutions for his disappearance. Eventually, they would realize there was no evil villain besides Chad’s incompetence, and that despite his position as prince, he really was replaceable. Time would pass and their reforms wouldn’t be affected and they would let Chad go, and Shadow the cat would get to stay in his place – making everyone happy.

It was the perfect system.

Maybe. Hopefully.

-:-:-:-:-:-

It wasn’t until later, when Uma was alone with her first mate after he had helped Ben ‘relax’, that Harry decided to speak up.

“…ye said ye had cast a danger detection spell on him, didn’t ye?” he asked, his voice carefully neutral. “Did that ever, ye know…”

Uma’s shoulders tensed. “I took it off him when he left Corona.”

It had been for the best, but the way she put it made it sound like a betrayal on his part, even though Chad had only been trying to help.

“Why didn’t ye say anything?” the first mate drawled, drawing his hand across Chad’s back in a lazy pet as they tried to unwind in their private suite. “Since he was helping with the reforms? Ye know full well he could have been targeted for that.”

“Maybe,” Uma allowed with a frown. “But Chad was careful to keep his involvement a secret and only talk to people he trusted. That means if one of them _did_ target him…”

“We’ve got a narrowed suspect pool,” Harry finished with a hum.

Uma flashed an appreciative look at him. “One we shouldn’t spook off by setting Mal on their heels.” She reached over, scratching behind Harry’s ear before letting her hand drop to repeat the action on Chad. “I’ll talk to King Eugene. He’s a crafty fuck. He can start digging into things subtly and he’ll get the information because people like him.”

“Because _ye_ like him,” Harry grumbled, and Chad wasn’t surprised when the captain reached up to smack the back of his head.

“Don’t be stupid, Harry,” she ordered. “The only people I like are you guys.”

She didn’t elaborate who that entailed, and yet Chad knew perfectly well who she was referring to.

Harry waited a few seconds, and then- “And Chad, yes?”

Uma hummed, but otherwise didn’t reply. Looked like she was finally getting into that whole ‘if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything’ suggestion of Chad’s. And she’d even done it in his _honor_.

If you thought about it, it was really sweet.

Well, it didn’t matter if Uma liked Chad or not. She liked _Shadow_ , and Shadow was there to stay.

The end. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the enthusiastic feedback and support!! I’m glad you enjoyed the twist with Uma – honestly, it took me by surprise too ^_^
> 
> Story notes:
> 
> Pretty sure Nigel is like, an advisor to the king in the Tangled animated series, but for the sake of this story he is now a butler. Hooray.
> 
> Until next time :)


	7. Eleven Months Ago

-:-:-:-:-:-

_11 Months Ago_

-:-:-:-:-:-

“You know,” Uma spoke up suddenly, sprawled across the bed that had somehow became _theirs_ as she flipped through a magazine Queen Rapunzel had gotten her. “When we finally get this mess cleaned up, I’m gonna introduce you to my crew.”

“You mean Harry and Gil?” Chad asked, perking up from his spot at the desk, finishing some last-minute bookwork. Just because he was busy trying to improve the united kingdoms didn’t mean he could slack on his actual summer school work, much to Uma’s protests. At least it seemed like something was paying off, because most of the test quizzes he’d gotten back from Ruby came back with perfect scores. He’d been afraid that they were too easy, but Queen Rapunzel had already assured him that they were adequately difficult, which meant he was getting _smarter_.

“And all the rest,” Uma hummed, lazily flipping to the next page. “But yeah, mostly them.”

“That’d be nice,” Chad said, excited by the prospect of meeting the two individuals Uma spoke of most often. As far as Chad could tell, Harry and Gil were Uma’s guiding lights when her own ambition wasn’t quite enough to pull her through. 

“The dumb thing is that you mean it,” Uma scoffed, letting her head shift restlessly against the pillow.

“Of course I mean it,” Chad said, frowning. “They’re your most important people. I would be honored to meet them.”

“And you mean _that_ too,” she groaned, looking up at the ceiling as though searching for patience. “How do you do it?” she asked, turning to give him a considering look. “How do you be so _good_ all the time?”

“I don’t,” Chad replied honestly. “Most of the time, I’m not. I just… try.”

It was all Chad could do, sometimes. It was what he had spent his life doing, and coming up short from.

“Such a princely response,” Uma decided, the words leaving her in a sigh. “Could be worse, though. I could be stuck doing this with Mal.”

“Mal’s not so bad,” Chad felt the need to defend, shoulders hunching as he thought of the awkward distance that seemed to linger between them ever since Chad ‘broke up’ with Jay.

“You say that,” Uma began with a drawl. “But you don’t know her.”

“I know she was trying to do her best,” Chad said, refusing to back down where he normally would. “I know how hard she worked to put on a good showing for the Isle kids, I know how much networking she did to put minds at ease. I know… I know that Ben failed her.” The words hurt to say, but Chad couldn’t deny them anymore. “He failed all of you. And that isn’t _fair_ , but we’re going to fix it.”

“So…” Uma narrowed her eyes in a considering look. “You friends with Mal, then?”

Only in his figurative dreams.

“No,” Chad sighed. “We were associates, but not friends.”

Chad didn’t exactly _have_ friends. Sometimes he wondered if Uma counted, but he never knew. 

The captain hummed. “Hey, stop doing that boring stuff and come over here.”

“Why?” Chad asked, but he put his book down anyway. Sometimes it was better to listen to Uma, and besides, he deserved the break. 

“Because if we talk about Mal some more I’m going to barf,” she declared as he crossed back towards the bed, grunting when she tugged him down beside her. They didn’t touch, not really – Uma wasn’t that type of person, but she did allow their arms to graze each other, and that alone was more than enough for Chad. “Besides, I wanna tell you more about my crew.”

“I’d like that,” Chad whispered, knowing that this was partially to help Uma deal with her homesickness but-

Well, she was still _sharing_ , with him. And that combined with the shell necklace resting against his chest made the offer that much more poignant.

“Of course you would,” Uma scoffed, but she was smiling, secretly pleased by the confirmation. “Now, first we’ve got Harry, and I’ll be honest, the guy’s probably going to be an asshole because that’s just his nature, and _then_ he’ll be a flirt – but he’s loyal to a fault, and clever and entirely fearless. He probably won’t like you at first because he doesn’t like anyone outside of the crew, but once he learns that you helped me, he’ll come around. Or, I’ll _make_ him come around.”

Chad shivered, grateful for the attention, and then Uma continued.

“Next is Gil,” she said with a grin. “He’s like – the opposite of Harry. Gilly is our sunshine and joy. Guy’s always happy, even when everything is awful. He’s not that smart, but he’s loyal and strong and knows how to lift the crew’s spirits when things get low. He’ll like you because I like you, and that’s enough for him.”

“You like me?” Chad asked, almost overwhelmed by the possibility.

Uma let out a soft scoff. “Don’t get a big head about it,” she said. “You’re the _least_ awful person I’ve met here.”

“Uh-huh.” Chad allowed himself to grin. “I’m sure you don’t like Queen Rapunzel or King Eugene _at all_.”

“You would suppose correctly,” Uma sniffed, but he could see her smiling, because the rulers of Corona had totally grown on Uma with their relentless care and support and easy offerings of respect. “Now quiet, I’ve got to make it through the rest of the crew before I tell you our greatest triumphs. It will get you brownie points if you know how appropriately ferocious they are.”

“They’re your crew,” Chad pointed out. “ _That’s_ how I know they’re ferocious.”

“See?” Uma grinned. “Keep saying shit like that and you’ll be fine. Now, where was I?”

They spent the rest of the evening like that, eventually passing out between one story and the next. Still, it was a delightful rest, and Chad appreciated the easy comradery while it was given. 

-:-:-:-:-:-

Sometimes, when Chad was more whimsical, he’d imagine what it was like for Uma to be his queen.

It was stupid, obviously – Uma was a warrior and a captain, dedicated to her crew and meant for greater things than queendom, but her natural leadership and charisma made it impossible for him not to consider it. She wouldn’t be like other queens, obviously. She’d be tough enough to hold her own, so much so that Chad would never have to worry about his kingdom falling into bad hands, because if he fell, Uma could take care of things.

She’d be blunt and cut straight to the point and wouldn’t tolerate foolishness, and Chad could already see her sending councilmen scurrying with just one withering glare. She’d dress in bright turquoise and purples, like the ballgown he’d initially met her in, only these would be tailormade to her liking. Instead of jewels, he would cover her in shells, the prettiest he could find. He’d give her a whole crown of them, scouring the beaches for the prettiest blues and lilacs, until he could consider his queen satisfied.

It would never happen, of course. Chad had Audrey, who would eventually come to look at him with affection once more. And Uma had her crew, who came before anything else. She’d kidnapped and spelled a king for them, and when that didn’t work, she’d swam the ocean, hashed deals with strangers, and worked on legislature all for them. Uma was too great to be tied down to just one person, and Chad would never do her the disservice of asking her to. Not when he respected her so much.

Still, it was a nice fantasy. A foolish one, but nice.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_Present Day_

-:-:-:-:-:-

Dinner was an unusual affair. Mostly because Ben wasn’t present. It didn’t seem to be a planned thing, if the odd looks Mal and Jay kept shooting each other were any indication, but they started the meal nonetheless, likely out of an obligation to maintain a set schedule.

Honestly, Chad liked group meal times. It was fun to see all of them talk to each other, to see them slowly grow out of their comfort zones so they could get to know each other in easy pairs. After the first few days they had started to change up their seating arrangement so they could bond with people they may have not gotten a chance to talk to yet, meaning Harry and Jay had to swallow their overprotective streaks and actually _make nice_ , which was a lovely sight to behold. 

Chad reveled in it all, in the easy jokes and light banter – in stories told and subsequently piled onto so someone else could tell them _correctly_ , like friends did. 

In his human form, it was something he would never be able to experience, which just proved the further wonder that was being a cat. He would take this over his anxiety of being a bad prince and continuous studying and persistent isolation any day. He was beginning to think that the Enchantress may have missed the point with her curse, but Chad was okay with that. And he sure as heck wasn’t going to mention it to her on the offhand chance she _did_ show up again. She was the one that didn’t give a time limit. 

About ten minutes into the meal, Ben finally showed up, though instead of his usual air of composure he just seemed… lost.

The change was immediately noticeable, and Mal didn’t hesitate to get up from her seat, crossing to the king as he slowly approached the table. “What’s wrong?”

“They…” Ben’s gaze didn’t seem to focus on any of them. “…they found Chad’s bag hidden in the woods, just off the trail of the walking path to the castle.”

“They… what?” Mal asked, seeming unable to process what he’d said.

“They said it was dragged,” Ben continued. “From um- where they think he was taken. And the path is so muddled with foot traffic by this point that they don’t even know if-” He cut himself off with a gasp, seeming to get worked up all over again.

It was sort of touching, to know that Ben cared that much. _Genuinely_ cared that much. Not just for how Chad’s disappearance would affect the kids of the Isle, but for Chad himself. 

He supposed it shouldn’t be a surprise, Ben was a good person. Just… seeing him this shaken up by this new information warmed Chad’s tiny cat heart. 

“The bag was hidden?” Uma asked, pulling away from the table herself. The others followed in suit, Gil scooping Chad up and cuddling him against his chest as they drew closer towards the king.

“Yeah.” Ben nodded, leaning against Jay when the son of Jafar slid an arm around his shoulder. “The Inspectors Office has a hold of it for evidence collection right now, but they said they’d release the contents to me as soon as they’d gathered what they needed.” Ben sniffed, rubbing a hand under his nose in a very un-kingly fashion. “They still haven’t been able to contact King Christopher or Duke Francis.”

“Because they’re shitheads,” Mal said, and for whatever reason no one protested, not even on principle. Chad thought Ben might have, but the king also seemed super overwhelmed, which could explain his silence.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Uma cut in, her brows furrowed in thought. “Why would they leave the bag? Sure, they went through the trouble of hiding it, but if they wanted to completely erase any evidence, they would have taken the bag as well.”

Jay got a considerate look. “Do you think… maybe they left it as a clue?” The more he kept talking, the more he seemed to round out his idea. “Maybe whoever had been charged with kidnapping Chad- maybe they hadn’t wanted to do it, and this was their way of helping, to let us know where he’d been snatched up.”

“Like Snow White’s huntsman,” Mal mused, curling against Ben’s side. “It’s plausible.”

“It certainly makes more sense than someone entirely malicious hiding it just off the trail,” Uma said. “Unless they wanted us to find it after the fact because they’d trapped it somehow.”

“It’s already been looked over for magic and practical traps,” Ben said with a shake of his head. “It’s been cleared.”

“Then we’ll go with Jay’s theory,” Uma decided. “Which means whoever did this – whoever employed a person of magic so talented as to leave no trace – they’ve got a lot of power.”

“ _Great_ ,” Jay groaned, letting his head fall back with a sigh. “More conspiracy theories.”

Or not. Because Chad had just been cursed. That was it. They were looking _way_ too into this. 

“Get used to it,” Uma sighed. “Because it looks like we’ve found one mess of a spider’s web to untangle.”

Their efforts were useless, though touching. Chad considered feeling guilty, but he knew that eventually the Inspectors Office wouldn’t find anything and he’d get labeled a cold case. Life would move on, and no one would be the worse for it, and Chad could spend the rest of his life as the small-but-capable Shadow.

And that would be that.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Tell me what you’ve got,” Uma ordered as she stared down the laptop the Fitzherberts had gotten her, King Eugene’s expression worried on the other end of the video chat.

“ _Hello to you too,_ ” the king said, though his usual good cheer seemed to be replaced with exhaustion. “ _These must be Mr. Hook and Mr. LeGume, I presume?_ ”

“Yes, yes – Harry, Gil – this is King Eugene,” Uma introduced with a lazy wave of her hand. “King, you know who these guys are, now tell me what you’ve got.”

“ _You’re not going to like this_ ,” the king warned, his expression falling into an uncharacteristic look of seriousness. “ _But I’ve got a whole lot of nothing_.”

Uma tensed. “What the hell does that mean?”

“ _It **means** ,_” the king continued. “ _That I have checked in with every one of our allies and every one of the kingdoms Chad managed to win over – subtly, of course – and not a single one of them has so much as a hint as to where he could have gone, or who would have the means to pull this off. I even double checked the kingdoms with cultures that were more predominantly magical to see if someone was trying play us, but they’re all clear_.”

“So we’ve got nothing?” Uma growled, her hands curling against her knees. 

“ _Yes, and no,_ ” the king said. “ _What we’ve done is narrowed down the list of subjects to a handful of kingdoms_.”

“The opposition,” Uma spat the words like a curse, and for her, they likely were.

“ _Got it in one_.”

“Why does it have to be a kingdom?” Harry pressed, leaning over Uma’s shoulder. “Couldn’t it be the act of some random nutjob?”

“ _Fair question_ ,” the king allowed. “ _But whoever did this covered up their trail too well to be working alone. The clues don’t add up to a solo operator, which means whoever did this had power, and if they’re not running a kingdom, they are at least high up in one._ ” 

Uma shifted in her seat. “If you’ve got it narrowed down-”

“ _I’m looking into it now_ ,” the king assured her. “ _But if it’s who I think it is… this is going to get a whole lot more messy_.” Uma tensed, ready to snap something out, and the king must have recognized this because he rushed to continue. “ _Don’t do anything stupid_ ,” he warned. “ _The last thing we want to do is spook ‘em. We’re going to find Chad one way or another, don’t worry about that_.”

“You’d better,” Uma ordered, her voice unbearably hard. “Or there’s going to be a lot of unhappy people.”

Again, Chad felt another twinge of guilt for the Isle people who were likely under additional scrutiny because of his curse, but there wasn’t much to be done for it. Even if he tried, it wasn’t going to break. He could only hope that the Enchantress like, conjured a dead body matching his description or something. Then everyone could move on, and they could all be happy. 

It was a useless hope. But still, it persisted.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_6 Months Ago_

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Enjoying the view?”

It was a rhetorical question, but Chad was beginning to realize how handy those were for starting conversations. Or, in Uma’s case, for letting her know he was nearby. As was the purpose of this latest rhetorical question as Chad climbed up onto the roof of Corona Castle, into the private nook above his and Uma’s guest suite to get a better view of the fireworks. 

Uma, as was her way, offered the smallest smirk to express her appreciation, not one to fully explain her emotions for fear of such opinions being used against her, but Chad had learned to take comfort in her small responses and know that if she wasn’t happy, she wouldn’t be shy about telling him.

“It’s alright, I suppose,” she drawled, underselling the majestic view that was Corona’s New Years’ Eve celebration. 

It had been a long seven months since he’d first met Uma, but he was pretty sure he could learn something new about her every day and forever be eager for more. 

“I’ll be sure to pass that on to King Eugene,” Chad replied, handing over the travel cup of hot cocoa he had detoured to obtain on his trip to their suite. He paused when Uma shifted closer to him, almost losing his balance when she draped the blanket she had curled around her shoulders over his own, until they were sharing it to fight off the bitter early January chill. 

Uma made a face. “Don’t talk about that sap,” she ordered, taking a sip of her drink to hide her smile. “You know he’s going to make us redo the countdown once he and the blondies get to retire from that grand celebration in the ballroom.”

“That doesn’t seem so bad,” Chad hummed. “Nigel said there will be confetti.”

“You say that now, but when you’ve got a mountain of confetti in your hair, don’t come complaining to me.”

Chad would never dare, but he was almost certain that Uma would help him without asking as it was. She liked to be generous like that, as long as you didn’t call her on it. Sort of like a cat. She was happy to coexist with you so long as you never drew attention to the arrangement, and Chad was more than fine with that. He liked cats. They seemed clever, and at the very least, comfortable and happy with who they were.

“I won’t,” Chad promised, taking a sip of his own drink as they watched the show unfold. This wasn’t the first set of fireworks they’d watched together – that had been on United Auradon Day, back in July, which celebrated the establishment of the United States of Auradon, when all the kingdoms had gotten together to sign the treaty. This was, however, the first display they’d watched outside. Before, loud noises and bright flashes of light had set off Uma’s self-preservation instincts until she was entirely on edge, at least until they’d retreated to the safety of their suite and Chad convinced her to cast a noise-blocking spell. 

It had worked like, well, magic, and while Uma didn’t necessarily _understand_ the purpose of a fireworks display, she could appreciate their beauty. And with the earmuffs she had charmed to block out the sound of fireworks alone, they were able to enjoy the display from the roof of the castle, watching their breath fog up as soon as it left their mouths. 

“I can’t wait to show them this shit,” Uma said, gaze fixed to the night sky. “Every dumb holiday. And the beds. And the _food_.”

“You should add it to the list,” Chad suggested, glad that the journal he had given her so very long ago had been put to such good use. They had a running tally of the things the Isle kids, and specifically her crew, needed to experience when they were finally freed. Ruby and her parents liked to contribute to it every so often, and Chad was pretty sure King Eugene and his band of reformed thugs had a room entirely dedicated to presents for them. 

It had been a good year, Chad thought. His grades had been pretty good during the summer, and while that didn’t carry over into his fall semester (something Queen Rapunzel found _very interesting_ , and Chad didn’t have the heart to explain to her that he was just dumb) it had been a nice boost to get him through the beginning legs of the ‘ _Help the Isle_ ’ initiative. Starting with the kingdoms that were already onboard helped build Chad’s confidence, and most of them offered constructive criticism to help hone his arguments. By the time he actually got to the kingdoms that were on the fence, Chad was able to articulate his points clearly, and believed in the proposals he was defending. 

It had been slow, careful work, but with half of the school year gone, Chad had managed to talk to half of the maybe-kingdoms. It was definitely something worth celebrating, King Eugene had told him, as most of the kingdoms had appreciated his attention to detail (which was really Queen Rapunzel’s and Uma’s attention to detail) and forethought to have an _actual_ plan in place to achieve his goals. He’d mostly gotten pledges of support with the help of Corona, and in the new year Chad was determined to get the other kingdoms on their side.

Chad didn’t normally travel that much during the school year, but on top of his networking, the Fitzherberts had frequently invited him to Corona during the weekends. They’d let Chad celebrate All Hallow’s Eve with them, as well as _Yule_ , which Chad hadn’t properly celebrated in he didn’t know how long. His grandfather rarely allowed Chad to get presents, knowing full well he hadn’t earned them, but the Fitzherberts had gotten Chad gifts despite his protests, had let him help decorate the Yule tree and sing carols and build snowmen and he’d gotten to help guide Uma through it all as well, the captain taking it all in with an air that was greatly put upon. 

Still, he was pretty sure she’d liked it. She’d _definitely_ liked the book he had written her, with hand drawn illustrations done by himself about the brave Captain Uma, who sailed the blue seas with her loyal crew, discovering new lands and righting wrongs wherever she went. 

She never talked to him about the contents of the book, whether it was stupid or out of line or foolish, but he did catch her reading it a lot, which was more than enough for him. 

“One step ahead of you,” Uma said, knocking their shoulders together. “…hey, can I ask you something?”

Chad perked up. It wasn’t often that Uma took the time to seek any type of permission. She generally just went for it in her direct, blunt way or said nothing at all. “Sure.”

“You don’t have to answer,” Uma continued, another thing she rarely extended. “But why is your grandfather such a dick to you?”

For a moment, Chad said nothing, too stunned by the question.

Uma continued. “I mean, I know why people are assholes on the Isle. They’re _on the Isle_. But Ruby’s parents dote on her all the time. They always go to her art exhibitions and sports shit and whatever. Why doesn’t your family do the same for you?”

It was a difficult question to answer, though it ultimately came down to one thing.

“Well.” Chad swallowed, fingering the bottom of his cup. “I’m um… not a very good prince. So, until I become a better one, my grandpa’s got to be tough on me.”

“No he doesn’t.” Uma made a face. “You _are_ a good prince. You’re the one making a difference for the Isle kids, and Queen Rapunzel won’t stop bragging about how hard you’ve been working.”

Chad felt his cheeks flood with warmth. “Thank you, Captain. That means a lot. But my grandfather has very high standards, and until I meet them, he’s not going to um… indulge me, I guess.”

Though it was really nice to know that Queen Rapunzel thought so highly of him. It was also sort of embarrassing, but mostly nice.

“What about your dad?” Uma pressed. “You don’t ever talk about him.”

“There’s not a lot to talk about,” Chad said. “My dad’s really busy running Sardinia. He doesn’t have time to waste on me, so…” Chad shrugged. “But that’s okay. I understand that duty comes first.”

“Chad?” Uma said, a careful prompt to redraw the blond’s focus.

“Yes, Uma?” Chad asked, perking up.

“Your dad and grandfather are stupid,” she declared, the same way she dismissed high heels as _impractical_ and would willingly fight anyone who didn’t like pineapple on pizza. “And you’re not.”

“Thank you, Uma,” Chad said, even though he didn’t necessarily agree with her. “I really appreciate it.”

“Don’t get a big head about it,” Uma warned him, one of her favorite phrases. “Now, let’s finish up this cocoa and get back inside before his royal dumbness can climb up here looking for us and break his neck.”

“He used to be a cat burglar,” Chad reminded her, laughing into the lip of his cup. “You don’t give him enough credit.”

“Believe me, I give that fool far too _much_ credit,” Uma deadpanned, and just like every time her voice was dry enough to match the Agrabah dessert, Chad laughed helplessly.

“Happy new year, Uma,” he said, taking in her muted look of delight.

“Happy new year, Chad,” she replied, and he was beginning to think that might be true. And what an overwhelming thing _that_ would be.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_Present Day_

-:-:-:-:-:-

Uma set off from the castle at a rapid pace, Harry and Gil dutifully trailing behind her. Chad had been as well, but the anxiety of not knowing Uma’s plan had led to Gil scooping him up halfway through their march to the back woods, so Chad had curled up and enjoyed it, purring in a steady tempo to offer Gil some amount of comfort.

It didn’t take long before they heard Mal and the others following after them.

“Uma!” Mal was the one who felt comfortable shouting, Ben and Jay trailing afterwards with concerned looks. “Uma, where are you going? We shouldn’t split up right now.”

As though on cue, Uma turned deftly on her heel, facing the others with a scowl. “Listen up, ‘cuz I’m only going to say this once. If you wanna come, shut up – otherwise, fuck off.”

Ben’s expression fell. “There’s no need for that, Uma-”

“They were simple orders, Benjamin,” Uma interrupted with a hard look. “Now if you want to come with us, circle around. I was trying to get us safely removed from the castle grounds before doing this.”

Realizing that Uma was not, in fact, joking, the rest of them quieted down, forming a circle as per her instructions. She cradled the seashell necklace between her hands, the shell resonating a familiar glow that warmed Chad down to his bones.

“ _Unlikely and unique greeting_ ,” she chanted in a low sort of caress. “ _Take us to our first meeting_.”

Because Chad had been teleported by Uma before, he was prepared for the following surge of energy that engulfed them, capturing the entire circle until the world flared out of existence in a shine of brilliant light. When that light faded, they were on a familiar stretch of beach – the private cove where Chad had met Uma all those months ago.

Mal looked around the secluded stretch of land in confusion. “Uma, where is this?”

It seemed like it was okay to ask questions again, because Uma didn’t seem upset by Mal’s query. “ _This_ is where I met Chad.” She started walking down the beach, heading towards the line of water Chad had stumbled through to get to her. “After everything fell apart during Cotillion, I made a tactful retreat. I couldn’t get back through the barrier so I tried to find an isolated area where I could gather my strength.” She turned so that her back was to the ocean, her eyes searching the tree line. “I met the asshole as I was dragging myself out of the water. He charged in wearing this fancy suit – didn’t care that he’d ruined it – and helped me out onto the shore.”

“Wait,” Ben spoke up, frowning. “Chad was here during Cotillion? I thought he’d gone to help Audrey in Sherwood Forest.”

“Yeah, that definitely didn’t happen,” Uma said with a lazy wave of her hand. “Blondie was here crying his eyes out because that pink princess ‘broke a commitment’ to him. Which I guess means she wouldn’t go with him to that dumb boat party.”

“That _bitch_ ,” Jay, of all people, hissed. “She bosses him around for fucking months-”

“We don’t need to go over all the reasons why Audrey’s a shithead,” Uma interrupted, giving Jay a bored look. “Point is, Chad lied to you guys, then hid out _here_ to save face.” With one last look towards the ocean, she turned her attention wood-ward, walking up the sand in determined steps. “He had to get here, somehow. I want to know how he did it.”

“Great.” Mal’s tone was clipped when she spoke up, though she still dutifully followed behind Uma. “I’d like to go back and review the part where you _already knew Chad_.”

“What, like you’re the only one that can befriend a prince?” Uma challenged with a quirk of her brow. “Blondie might have been a mess, but he also treated me like a person. I told him I was the daughter of Ursula and he was _excited_ that Ben had gotten more VKs off the Isle. He was _happy_.” She shook her head slowly. “I thought he was an idiot, but he was an earnest one. Even after I told him everything that happened – the kidnapping and the love spell – do you know what his response was?”

She aimed this at Harry, who motioned for her to continue.

“ _Yikes_. He said ‘ _yikes_ ’, and then he helped me come up with a plan to fix it all.” She stopped as she made it to the tree line, staring through the underbrush. “He doubted _himself_ more than he ever doubted me, and he helped because- because he thought I deserved the chance. That we all deserved it. I hated him for that, a lot.” She turned back to Harry. “It was like some kind of fairytale bullshit – this perfect dumbass prince trying _not_ to save the day, but to help me save it myself. He just wanted to give me the tools to make it happen.”

He had, because Chad respected her. Because he looked at Uma and saw Mal’s strength, looked at her and saw his own pain. He tried to do his best for her because she deserved it, and because she hadn’t been given what she deserved for a very long time. 

The rest of it was hard to process, so Chad didn’t focus on it, instead wiggling from Gil’s hold until the blond finally set him down. It was then that Chad started trotting through the overgrown wood, almost certain of Uma’s desired destination. Chad had never been able to come back for his stashed bike – not after Uma had swam them away. He’d been too busy, and the beach was too remote for him to run to, even though he’d tried a couple of times.

“Shadow!” Gil trailed after him, movements substantially less graceful as he charged through branches. “Hey! Wait up, buddy!”

Chad was careful to stay in his line of sight, pausing to make a show of sniffing around before he kept walking, until he eventually led them to the cave entrance that was overrun by hanging moss. He meowed, batting at some of the mossy plant life until they were gathered around the cave. Then, he went in. 

It was sort of a relief to see his bike still in one relative piece – though his hoody and cloak hadn’t fared well in the year or so Chad had abandoned them to the wild. 

The cave lit up in a yellow glow, Uma holding her necklace aloft as she peered inside before a smile spread across her face. 

“Good boy,” she said, drifting close to Chad before turning her attention to the bike. “ _This_ is what I was looking for.”

“A bike?” Jay wandered towards the far side of Chad’s light blue bicycle. “He rode here?”

“I think…” Uma began carefully, fingering the handle bar as the others came inside. “I think he might have ridden everywhere.” She was frowning now, stooping low to pick up Chad’s abandoned cape and hoody. “He said something about that once – about how his grandfather wouldn’t let him take the driving test because he _‘couldn’t be trusted_ ’.” Uma scoffed. “His grandfather sounds like an overcontrolling douche to me. Chad couldn’t even hire cars ‘cuz his grandpa would just reroute them back to wherever he wanted.” She stared at the bike again. “That must have been why he was on foot that evening. That was why he had taken the bus. His grandfather didn’t want him to come.”

“Why would his grandfather want him to turn down an invitation from the king?” Gil asked, sounding hopelessly lost. “Shouldn’t that like, be an honor?”

“I dunno.” Uma shook her head. “I’ll be honest, I think Chad was afraid of him.” She turned her gaze meaningfully to Ben. “The same way we were afraid of our parents.”

Ben’s throat caught. “You mean… do you think he’s-?”

“Abusing the shit out of him?” Uma finished, making Chad flinch at the crassness, but luckily no one was focused on him now. “It seems likely.”

“Before he broke up with me,” Jay cut in, brows furrowing in concentration. “He was missing for a week. Fairy Godmother said he got pulled for a political retreat, but he looked…”

“Bad,” Mal interrupted. “He looked _bad_ when he came back, and then he wouldn’t talk to Ben.”

“Or he wasn’t _able_ to,” Jay said.

“Guys.” Ben seemed so very pained. “What are you saying?”

Mal’s look was expressly serious. “I think grandpa dearest may have caught onto what was happening, and because it was… unconventional, he decided to do something about it.” What did _that_ mean? Unconventional? Did she mean the practicing thing? “We should have Carlos check to see if there are any digital trails linking Audrey to Duke Francis during the time of Chad’s political retreat. Maybe he talked her into being interested in Chad just enough to get him to break up with Jay.”

“And then she didn’t even go to Cotillion with him,” Jay growled, his fingers curling into tight fists against his sides.

Mal steadied a hand on his bicep. “She’ll get her comeuppance later. Right now we need to focus on Chad.”

No, they didn’t. They _didn’t_. Chad was dead, it was only Shadow now. 

Chad trailed over to Mal, butting his head against her shin to try and get her to back out of the cave, and _meowed_ when the lady thoughtlessly picked him up, scratching his ears.

“Good boy, Shadow,” she said distractedly, mind likely muddled with the formulation of a dozen plans. “You did a good job today.”

“Let’s get this back to the castle,” Ben said, taking Chad’s bicycle into his hands. “And then maybe you can tell us a little more about you and Chad’s _friendship_.”

Uma rolled her eyes. “Green is not a good color on you, beastie boy.”

That statement made no sense, Ben looked wonderful in green. Chad thought it was one of his better colors. It brought out his eyes.

“Yeah,” Mal snorted. “Don’t think you’re getting out of this with a coy comment, Uma. We want _deets_.”

Uma let her head fall back with a sigh. “Fine.”

This just went to prove that Chad did not understand social situations well. He tried to hold onto that instead of the growing anxiety of his friends investigating the duke. Granted, they wouldn’t find anything, but still. The Duke could be crafty, and _mean_. 

Hopefully, they could be meaner. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Post-Halloween everyone!! I hope everyone had a good day!! Thank you so much for the continued outpouring of support!! I’m always grateful to hear from you guys, and it is a definite *treat* for me to read your responses ;D
> 
> Story notes:
> 
> Originally, I had plans for them to find some of Mal’s drawings squirreled away inside a secret pocket of Chad's bag, but things sort of took a detour towards advancing the mystery plot instead of ruminating in more angst. That said, you are free to toy around with that image to torment yourself with as you so choose ;)
> 
> Come on, tell me Uma isn’t the type of person who wouldn’t throw down for her favorite pizza topping. You know she would ;D
> 
> Until next time ^_^


	8. Three Months Ago

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING – Non-Con – In the very last scene of the chapter, Chad is sexually assaulted. It isn’t graphic or maliciously intended, but it does happen. Please see endnotes for more details.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_3 Months Ago_

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Are you sure about this?” Chad asked for what might have been the dozenth time, trying not to doubt Uma but overcome by the lingering anxiety that demanded he keep her safe. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”

Uma cut him a side eyed look as she swam through the deep waters of the ocean, Chad tucked safely close to her chest by a few of her tentacles as they dived deeper, towards Atlantica. “For the last time, _yes_ , I’m sure.”

“Okay.” Chad tucked his head closer to her shoulder under the guise of being more aerodynamic, but mostly it was so he could take comfort in her presence. Being in the ocean was _weird_ , in that he was constantly surrounded by the cold stimulus of water, though Uma’s water breathing spell helped fight off the worst of the chill. 

Though Chad was nervous for Uma, he felt significantly better about this trip than he had the last one, when he’d come by himself. Queen Rapunzel had been forced to request the aid of an Atlantian ship just to get Chad close to the mermaid kingdom, but he’d been forced to swim from the outskirts by himself with just his flippers and Uma’s enchantment, and _then_ he’d had to deal with the semi-hostility that came from merpeople who did not often see humans.

Still, he’d managed to get to King Triton and give his pitch, using the tactics kindly suggested to him by Queen Ariel. Traditionally Atlantica did not vote in regular Auradon Council events, but when it did, King Triton passed along a signed copy of his vote to his daughter to turn in, allowing her to represent the kingdom she was born to on his behalf. 

It had been an unspeakable relief when Chad had gotten the okay from King Triton, his hands shaking almost the entire trip back to Westerly, where he had handed off the official approval to vote. He’d been worried, but it turned out, _that_ had been the easy part, because it was during their parting words that King Triton requested an audience with his niece, Uma. 

Chad _may_ have gone on about her a lot during the trip. 

He couldn’t help it. So many Atlantica citizens said awful things about Ursula and tried to extend those bad comments to her daughter without ever getting to know her – _of course_ Chad had to stand up to her. Had to explain she was strong and hardworking and kind. That she was the one that helped create the legislature to help the Isle kids. Uma was more valuable to their cause than he would be any day, and somewhere in all that gushing, Chad suspected he might have won the king over.

Thus, the second trip to Atlantica.

And while Uma might not show it, Chad could tell she was slightly worried. She’d admitted that her mother had explained that there weren’t really any squid-maids, such as herself. That came from the corruption of dark magic, and while Uma had never dabbled in such things, her mother had, and she bore the mark of it in her very lovely tentacles. It was the reason so many mercitizens stopped to stare at them as Uma swam by, though she dutifully ignored them, curling Chad just a little bit closer as they swam towards the palace.

As per traditional Atlantica dresscode, Chad was only wearing a pair of wetsuit pants, flippers, a weight belt, and the shell necklace he was to protect at all times. He had a bag tucked against his back with extra wetclothes, along with a few items Queen Ariel had suggested, but otherwise Chad felt just the slightest bit awkward being shirtless and very close to Uma, even though it obviously _wasn’t a big deal_. Also, they had a meeting they had to focus on. Now was not the time to get caught up in his own stupidity.

Uma stopped them just as they got into the grand foyer of the palace, the captain staring up at the tall, vaulted ceilings.

“…Uma?” he asked after a few moments of silence, her shoulders giving just the slightest shiver of tension.

“What the fuck am I doing?” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “No one’s going to want me here.”

“Sure, they do,” Chad said, resting a hand on her shoulder. Above water, Uma preferred to be the one to initiate contact, though for whatever reason underwater, she liked Chad to have a point of contact with her at all times. And, to be honest, Chad preferred that too. “His majesty wouldn’t have invited you here if you weren’t wanted.”

“He wants to inspect me, maybe,” she allowed, her hands curling into fists against her tentacles. “See how strong I am.”

“Of um- _character_ ,” Chad said.

That got him a blank look.

“…he wants to see your strength of character,” Chad elaborated, feeling bashful. “Since I told him how amazing you are.”

“Blondie,” Uma sighed. “You’re a pretty great dude, but he’s not just going to take your word on it.” Chad got lost for a few seconds at being called _‘a great dude_ ’ because he was pretty sure she hadn’t been sarcastic. Audrey definitely would have been sarcastic. “He’ll probably think I’m evil, or so corrupted by my mom that there’s no hope for me.”

“That is hardly the case, Captain.” The new voice – King Triton’s voice – floated down from above them, and Uma tensed when the king swam down to meet them, his signature triton held in one hand. “Your mother never would have been able to part with that necklace,” he said, motioning to the shell around Chad’s neck. “But you willingly did so to aid your cause. You did so for Prince Chadwick’s protection, and for the benefit of every child on that Isle.”

He drifted closer to them, until they were finally at eye level.

“It is _that_ , and the very fact that Prince Chadwick seems to feel safer in your hold than he ever was alone, that help me _know_ you are good,” the king explained. “And while I shall forever regret being unable to help my sister before she was wooed away by the lure of dark magic, I _am_ grateful she had you.” He offered Uma a careful smile. “You seem like a remarkable woman, Uma. I’m proud to have you be a part of my family.”

Throughout the course of his monologue, Chad had been watching Uma, whose face had become more and more impassive, sort of like she did when Queen Rapunzel was being especially kind and loving.

“Did you even see what I did at Cotillion?” Uma snapped, her shoulders hunching defensively.

The king hummed. “I saw you retreat before anyone could get hurt,” he said. “I saw you try to free your friends. I saw you bewitch a king but never use that power to do any kind of permanent damage to him.” He tilted his head to the side, thoughtful. “I will not lie, your tactics were not the best ones, but they were the best you knew to use, and if King Benjamin is willing to pardon you, I can hardly hold a grudge myself. So.” He held out an arm to her. “If it is alright with you, could we go for a swim? I would like to get to know the niece I didn’t know I had.”

Uma considered his arm for a long moment, then looked at Chad.

“Prince Chadwick, of course, is invited as well,” the king rumbled, and while Chad had been almost certain that Uma’s look had been one of dismissal, the captain seemed relieved, curling one of her tentacles around Chad’s waist as she gently tugged him through the ocean currents. 

They started with a tour outside the palace, the structure entirely carved from preexisting ocean rocks, taking advantage of the natural protection offered by the ocean’s waves. Just like last time, Chad found himself entranced by the colorful views of Atlantica, of the fish that seemed to swim in choreographed groups, the brilliant variety of merpeople – scales and tail shapes diverted from many different kinds of fish. It was comforting, to hear King Triton explain his kingdom – _Uma’s_ kingdom, to the captain, offering gentle but informative explanations that didn’t criticize Uma for being unfamiliar with her home. While Chad had never been bold enough to ask about Uma’s past – knowing it was none of his business – the few times it had been mentioned he got the feeling that Ursula was not a particularly caring mother, and certainly not one that had any sort of fondness for her home kingdom. 

It was better now that Uma got to do this with the king herself, perfectly at home in her natural habitat, a small but distinct smile curled on her lips. 

“And now,” the king said as he guided them towards an open sort of area of the sea floor, closer towards the Atlantica City proper rather than the palace itself. “I thought perhaps we could do some training? My own granddaughters are not proficient with the use of magic, but Prince Chadwick has boasted greatly of your skills.”

Chad felt a warm flush spread across his cheeks when Uma quirked a brow at him, but he couldn’t _help it_. To a non-magical human like him, Uma’s abilities were wonders that should be celebrated.

“I know you have not been allowed the opportunity to practice your magic under the barrier,” the king continued. “But our gifts were passed down by the merfolk that came before us, and as such, I might be able to help you come to a better understanding of your abilities.”

“You want to help me get better?” Uma asked, not seeming to believe the offer. “ _Me?_ ” 

She motioned to her tentacles, as though that explained everything.

The king was not put off. “I have already felt your magic, my dear,” he said, motioning to Chad, likely referring to the water-breathing spell. “My sister misused that shell for her own gains, but there is no corruption to your magic. It’s as pure as you are.”

Chad likely imagined it, between the water and Uma’s dark skin, but he was almost certain that a small flush dusted those tan cheeks in the wake of that statement.

“You’re damaging my rep,” Uma grumbled, not really looking at either of them. “Fine, we can practice.” 

Chad nodded, allowing his fingers to curl around the shell necklace to pass it over, but Uma waved him off. “I can use it from a distance,” she said. “Just stay close. But a _safe_ close.”

Chad wasn’t sure why she said these things like he was purposefully _un_ -safe. He wasn’t King Eugene, or Ruby. The only risks he took were perfectly acceptable.

“Okay,” he said, deciding not to bring it up. “I’ll just um- be by those boulders, okay?” They were located near the edge of their clearing, closer to the city, and Chad was pretty sure he could hook his dive belt onto something so he wouldn’t have to worry about floating away. 

“Safe close,” Uma simply repeated, and it was kind of touching that she cared that much. Granted, it was likely because it would provide way more problems for her should he manage to injure himself, but still, her dedication was nice. 

It felt weird swimming over to the boulders without the protective curl of Uma’s tentacles, but it was still nice to know that she was nearby. He could shout and she’d probably come swimming – that was better than nothing. 

He wouldn’t, obviously, because then he’d be a _nuisance_ (Audrey didn’t like it when he was a nuisance), but the point remained the same. 

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t notice he had company until he had actually gotten to the boulders, and then there was a fun moment where he and a gaggle of young merchildren stared at each other in open confusion, the children hidden behind the shelter of the rocks as they spied on the king and his niece from a distance.

“Um…” It took Chad a moment to remember he was a prince, and therefore, supposed to be charming. “Hello?”

“You’re a human!” one of the little girls exclaimed, her purple hair pulled back in two braids that floated behind her.

“Yes,” Chad said, anchoring himself into the boulder so he wouldn’t have to worry about floating away. “That’s me.”

“You’re the prince, right?” Another little mer-girl asked. She had orange hair that floated around her like liquid fire. “The one that came to talk to the king?”

“I’m Prince Chadwick James,” Chad introduced, to substantially more appreciation and fanfare than he normally would have received. “Of Sardinia.” At their blank looks, he elaborated. “My mother was Queen Ella.”

“The one with the shoes!” the purple-haired girl cheered. She shoved her hands against her mouth, attempting to restrain a giggle. “Can you imagine that? Wearing something on your _fins_.”

“You don’t need to,” Chad said, smiling. “Because your fins are hardy and strong.” The kids seemed to puff up with pride at that, especially the small merboys, who seemed torn between paying Chad attention and watching the king just beyond them. “But human feet have to withstand a lot more direct contact with the ground, more pressure, and they hold more direct weight, so we have to wear shoes to protect ourselves.”

“Weird,” one of the boys said. “Why did you come down here, anyway?”

“Well…” Technically, the reason was supposed to be a secret, but news didn’t really travel out of Atlantica, since they didn’t use electronics so much. They were one of the few kingdoms that had exemptions for the use of magic, mostly because King Triton refused to accept anything less. “I came to help my friend Uma pass a piece of legislature that’s going to help all the kids on the Isle of the Lost.”

Of all those things, the orange-haired girl decided to focus on- “You’re friends with _Uma?_ ” She shared a concerned look with the others. “But isn’t she scary?”

One of the boys frowned. “My dad says only bad mermaids have squid tentacles.”

“She isn’t scary,” Chad said, deciding to address the issues one at a time. “Her mom is. And her _mom_ used dark magic – which was why she had tentacles. Uma has never used dark magic, but she has tentacles because her mom did. Like…” He gestured to the purple-haired girl. “One of your parents has purple hair, right?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “My dad.”

“And that’s why you have purple hair, that’s biology,” Chad explained. “Uma never used dark magic, but because her mom’s biology changed, Uma has tentacles instead of a tail.”

“Are they scary?” a small girl asked, her hair a pretty mint green. “They look scary.”

“They are not.” Chad shook his head. “In fact, I feel like it’s one of the safest places to be.”

“You _do?_ ” a boy said. “But what if she squishes you?”

“She won’t squish me,” Chad insisted. “Uma’s always really careful not to hold on too tight because she doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Just like she’s always careful with her magic.”

“She has magic?” the orange haired girl said. “Like Ursula?”

“Like King Triton,” Chad said. “Her magic is warm and safe and good. See?” He motioned to the shell around his neck that began to glow, the shell producing a gentle warmth that carefully heated him down to his core.

“ _Whoa_ ,” the red-haired boy said. “Is that her shell?”

“It is.” Chad nodded. “She trusts me to take care of it.”

“She must trust you a whole lot.”

“Of course she trusts him,” the purple haired girl sniffed. “He’s a _prince_.”

“If he’s a prince, where’s his crown?” the green haired girl said. “Aren’t princes supposed to have crowns?”

Chad tensed, because while he technically had a crown, his grandfather wouldn’t let him wear it, hadn’t in years, claiming that Chad hadn’t earned such a privilege. It was discouraging, and Chad always felt small after he attended a formal event without the familiar weight on his head. He tried to boast that crowns were _‘out of style_ ’ to play it off with the press, but his grandfather knew. 

There was no hiding _that_ shame.

Luckily, Chad was underwater, and as such had a perfect excuse. “My crown isn’t waterproof,” he said, to awed sounds of consolation. “So I can’t wear it down here.”

“That’s too bad,” a small boy cooed.

“We could make you a shell crown!” a girl exclaimed. “We do that sometimes during recess.”

“Do what, sometimes?” came the familiar rumble of King Triton’s voice just over Chad’s shoulder, and the response was lost in an echo delighted cheers.

“King Triton!” the orange haired girl said, swimming so that she was eye-level with the king. “Did you know Prince Chad’s crown isn’t waterproof? You should magic him one!”

Chad felt himself blush. “That isn’t really necessary-”

“Princess Uma?” the purple haired girl interrupted, hovering near the captain that had followed King Triton over. “Could I have a tentacle hug, please?” At Uma’s weird look, she added, “Prince Chad said they’re very nice.”

At _that_ , Uma turned her look over to Chad, seeming forever exasperated despite the fact she was smiling. “You gotta stop talking about me.”

“I can’t help it.” Chad grinned, gratefully leaning into the tentacle she curled around him with a feeling of distinct comfort. “You’re pretty great.”

“I am _not_ ,” she said, but she also wrapped a careful tentacle around the small mergirl, who hugged onto it with an open adoration that was unquestionably cute.

The purple haired girl hummed. “You’re right. I _do_ feel safe.”

“Me next! Me next!” one of the boys chirped, only adding a soft, “ _Please_ ” when one of the other kids elbowed him.

Uma ended up giving all the kids tentacle hugs, and they took turns asking about her captainship (which she preferred to _princess_ because she’d earned it, and all the little girls agreed this was the superior title), about her magic and her tentacles and her friendship with Chad, which made the blond blush even further, because he hadn’t expected that claim to make it back to her. They weren’t really friends, they were just good associates, but the kids seemed to really latch onto that last part despite Chad’s efforts to play it down.

And, in a crowning triumph of true embarrassment, the afternoon ended with Uma _and_ King Triton working together to make Chad a crown – though really it was closer to a diadem, but Chad-

He could have cared less what it was because Uma had made it for him. It was comprised of an assortment of blue shells that the mergirls insisted ‘brought out his eyes’, and the kids all took turns admiring and complimenting it.

It was all very nice but distinctly overwhelming, though it seemed to get better when Uma wrapped a tentacle around his waist in a comforting _squeeze_.

“You know he’s a prince whether he has a crown or not?” Uma said sometime later.

“Yeah,” the orange haired girl agreed. “But he’s a nice prince, so he deserves presents.”

Uma may or may not have spent the rest of the afternoon laughing at Chad’s blush, and she never let up teasing him about how _nice_ he was, even if he wished she really would. Because it wasn’t true, just a simple misunderstanding, but-

It was a nice lie. 

And Uma seemed okay with it, so maybe they could let it be, just this once.

-:-:-:-:-:-

They spent the next few days like that, King Triton showing Chad and Uma around the different areas of Atlantica during the mornings before ending the afternoons in what had become their practice field, where King Triton taught Uma how to _conjure_ and _transfigure_ and _summon_ , how to _terraform_ and – Uma’s favorite of all, how to _heal_.

They might have practiced the last one on Chad, who spent those afternoons entertaining different gaggles of merfolk that came to linger on the outside of the field. After the first day, the kids brought their elder siblings, who in turn brought their friends, and then sometimes it was the odd adult or grandparent – all who had their own questions about humanity and Auradon and, more pressingly, Uma, and while Chad didn’t feel like a proper authority on any of those subjects, he did his best to answer them. 

The merfolk were wary of Uma at first, but her actions spoke for themselves, as did King Triton’s genuinely given trust. He wouldn’t be training someone he didn’t believe in, and Uma would have never given Chad her shell if she was truly evil. 

Eventually the novelty died down, but the kids kept coming, likely out of habit, and that was when Chad got to learn mer-games. He was, expectedly, terrible at most of them because he couldn’t swim nearly as fast as the children, even with his flippers, but despite this he was almost always the first selected for any teams. He suspected he had become somewhat of a mascot, or that they were interested in bonding with a prince when Atlantica only had princesses, but he never managed to courage to ask them. There was a good chance the answer was obvious and he had just missed it due to his lack of social graces. 

Chad was terrible at tag, but the kids took turns dragging him through the water, sometimes working in teams to pull him. Unlike Uma, the kids weren’t accustomed to watching after someone else’s welfare when doing such a thing, so a lot of times Chad got scraped up when he’d been dragged too close to a rocky outcrop, or he was bruised by enthusiastic hands, or flung into a boulder when they took a turn too quickly. Still, what was a little roughhousing in the name of fun? Chad was having a good time, and so were they. It was fine.

Uma disagreed with this assessment.

“He is _fragile_ ,” she would lecture to the kids when her brow furrowed in concentration, her hands glowing a familiar shade of gold as she pressed them against his wounds. “He isn’t good at knowing his limits-” 

“ _Uma_ ,” Chad moaned, hopelessly embarrassed by the gaggle of merchildren and teenagers that were listening to every word Uma said with rapt attention.

“-so you have to know them _for_ him,” she continued as though she hadn’t heard him speak. “So watch your surroundings and your grip, because humans are good at a lot of things, but swimming through the ocean is not one of them.”

“ _So romantic_ ,” one of the little girls whispered, and Chad gave up then and there, hiding his face in his hands while Uma healed his back, King Triton watching on with an expression of pride that could not be doubted.

They got other kinds of visitors too. _Royal_ kinds. Kinds that Chad hadn’t realized the importance of until the usual teens that hung out with him froze up and swam a respectable distance away, huddling together to trade furious whispers.

Chad wondered what that was about for all of two seconds before a brown-haired girl with a red shell crown swam up to him. “So _you’re_ the prince.”

“And you’re the princess,” Chad said, hoping he’d gotten that right and was relieved when it earned him a smile.

“Aclina,” she introduced. “Daughter of Attina, crown princess of Atlantica.”

“Chadwick James,” Chad said, doing his best to imitate the formal merperson bow. “Crown prince of Sardinia.”

“The place with the slippers,” Aclina said, because somewhere along the way Chad’s entire kingdom had gotten reduced to a single pair of shoes in the public’s collective interest.

“The one and the same.”

“So, _Chadwick_.” She floated closer to him, letting a hand fall on his bare bicep in what he hoped was a welcoming gesture. “What do you think of Atlantica?”

Merfolk didn’t generally do casual touch outside their immediate family, and they definitely didn’t do it without permission. Chad had gone his entire first visit without a single point of contact, which wasn’t all that odd for him in particular, it just made it weird when she did it now. Maybe she was trying to emulate human culture? Attempting to find a middle ground, dusting off her diplomacy skills as crown princess just for him.

Chad pushed what was no doubt superb over-analyzation on his part aside and focused on the conversation, answering honestly. “It’s beautiful, and so unique from any other kingdom in Auradon.”

All kingdoms had their own small offerings to make them stand apart from each other, but there was no question that Atlantic was a bit special in that particular regard. 

A large smile spread across her face. “I’m glad to hear that.” She seemed to drift a little bit closer, though Chad was sure that was a result of the ocean currents more than anything else. “You know, we have a story in Atlantica-”

“Prince Chadwick!” Another mermaid darted into view, curling close to Chad’s other side as she blinked at him with wide, purple eyes. “So glad to finally meet you. I’m Agneta, daughter of Andrina.”

“My cousin,” Aclina said, smiling even though her voice seemed a bit tense.

“I never thought I’d get to see a human in person,” Agneta said, dragging a hand across Chad’s shoulder, settling it on his other bicep. “Grandfather was so wary of your last visit that we weren’t allowed to properly meet. But now that you’ve come back-”

“We wanted to introduce ourselves,” Aclina cut in, voice hard. “I already said that much, Agneta.”

“You’re so thoughtful, Aclina,” Agneta said, her smile seeming a little tight, and it made Chad wonder if there was another conversation going on. That happened a lot with Audrey. It always made Chad feel especially dumb. 

“I do my best,” the brown-haired princess said, seeming to puff up in something like pride. She turned her attention back to Chad. “I actually came here to invite you for a swim? The coral reef is especially pretty this time of day.”

“Um…” That had not been what Chad was expecting. “I actually need to stay close by,” he explained. “Uma channels her magic through her shell, and I need to stay near so she can use it.”

“So _that’s_ the shell, huh?” Agenta said, narrowing her purple eyes at the glowing necklace. “How can you stand wearing such a horrid thing?”

“It’s not horrid,” Chad said, feeling defensive. “This shell is an heirloom that’s been a part of your family for generations.” He cradled the familiar warmth between his hands. “Yes, it can be misused to do horrible things, like what your great aunt did, but Uma uses it for good.”

“Good,” Agneta scoffed. “How _good_ can she be? She enchanted a king.”

“King Ben didn’t press any charges against her,” Chad said. “And if _he’s_ willing to believe in Uma and your grandfather’s willing to believe in her-”

“And you’re willing to believe in her?” Aclina said, almost like a challenge.

Chad would know, he got them from Audrey a lot.

“I do believe in Uma,” Chad said, even though he knew his support was ultimately meaningless. “I believe in her cause. I believe in the children of the Isle.”

Aclina drifted closer, her hand sliding over the back of his shoulders until she essentially had an arm around his neck. “You’ve got a very kind heart, Prince Chadwick.”

“That… is the way of Sardinia,” he said eventually. “To have courage and kindness.”

It was his mother’s way, at least, and Chad thought that counted for far more than the standard Sardinian rules.

Agenta perked up. “You are very brave,” she said, her lilac hair curling around her shoulders. “To come all the way down here, into a habitat that could very well kill you. Tell me…” Her fingers drifted forward, caressing the shell dangling against his chest. She brushed against his pectoral by accident, and Chad shivered, unused to that kind of contact. “…is it Uma’s magic that keeps you safe?”

“…yes,” Chad said, beginning to feel a little uncomfortable.

“You must trust her very much,” Aclina cut in, blinking large, blue eyes at him.

“I do,” Chad said. “Without question.”

“Huh,” Agenta said, and that seemed to be the end of _that_ conversation.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Does Audrey need to be worried?” Uma teased later that night, when Chad was settling into the protective curl of her tentacles as Uma dragged them down into the confines of their kelp bed. “Those second cousins of mine or whatever seemed _real_ interested in you.”

Chad felt his face heat with embarrassment. “I’m just a novelty,” he tried to explain. “Merroway Cove is so far away, so they don’t really see any other royals-”

“Or they think you’re cute,” Uma countered, pulling him close to her chest. “But whatever, you’re obviously not going to act on it.”

“Of _course not_ ,” Chad said, mildly scandalized.

He had Audrey. He was pretty sure he had gotten her to like him again, at the very least for the dresses he bought her. That was something.

“So devoted,” Uma hummed, but then she was stroking her fingers through his curls like a kind of apology, so Chad figured it was okay.

-:-:-:-:-:-

The second day of the festival (there was a festival, and Chad didn’t know the details, only that it gave Uma a chance to _shine_ ), Uma got ready for the ball early so she could meet with Sabastian at his request, finally giving into the crab’s bid to ‘ _share her talent_ ’ with the populous of Atlantica. 

Chad himself was very excited to hear Uma sing. He knew she had a pretty voice from the snippets he heard her hum in the shower, or sometimes, when she thought he was asleep, she would sing a quiet tune while petting a hand through his curls. It was one of Chad’s very favorite things, though he made an effort not to tell her about it for fear that it might be taken away. He realized that this could partially be considered as taking advantage of the captain, but he thought this fell into King Eugene’s category of ‘what they don’t know, doesn’t hurt them’ way of thinking.

Because Uma had already left (allowing Chad to help her with the gown King Triton had commissioned for her, and braid an assortment of shells into her hair), Chad was forced to get ready by himself, not that he minded. While he did feel more at ease with Uma around when they were underwater, he knew from Audrey that his presence could be _stifling_ , and he didn’t want to hold Uma back from enjoying her moment. She deserved _space_ and _freedom_ and all the other things Audrey also deserved, so Chad didn’t mind that he wouldn’t get to see her rehearsal. He’d see her sing soon enough, and besides, it wasn’t all that hard to put on the weird, toga-like robe thing made of light blue, billowy material. It was designed to go over one of his shoulders, leaving the other bare while it tied with a gold, shell-studded strap, and Chad would get to finish the look with his _crown_ and the jewelry the children of Atlantica had made for him. 

It was the first time he’d ever been excited to prep for a ball. Instead of worrying about making a fool of himself, he got to look forward to Uma and the merpeople that seemed to like him. He got to further their cause and swim-dance badly, and he knew at the end of the night that no matter what happened, they would be okay. 

He’d just changed into a new set of wetsuit pants (dark blue, so they sort of matched his outfit) when he heard the brown-haired princess’s voice (Aclina, maybe?) drift through his door. “ _Prince Chad, are you in there?_ ”

“Yes, your highness,” Chad said, swimming over towards the kelp curtain that acted as a separator between the room and the hallway. He pushed it open carefully, and found all six of the princesses floating outside the room. “Can I help you?”

“More like, can we help _you_?” the blue-haired one gushed, seeming unable to contain herself.

“We want to help you get ready for the ball!” green hair chirped, pumping her fist into the air excitedly. “You know, the _mermaid_ way.”

“We thought you deserved the experience,” Aclina declared with a nod of her head.

“And besides,” pink hair whispered. “We’ve never seen a _human-_ ”

“Shut _up_ , Adara,” Agneta hissed, and then they were all just sort of looking at Chad expectantly.

It was, honestly, the first time he’d ever been offered anything like this, and he was sort of touched. Definitely caught off guard, but still touched. He knew a lot of the merpeople found him fascinating because he was, for many of them, the first human they’d ever seen up close, and that was likely no different with the princesses. So he was likely extended this invitation because he was a novelty for them, but that didn’t mean he should turn it down. There was no point in being rude, and besides, it was always a chance to network. 

“Um…” Chad let his fingers curl around Uma’s shell, the action childish, but still strangely grounding. “Thank you. I’d be honored.”

“‘ _Honored’_ , he says,” the orange haired one giggled, and then Chad found himself being dragged along by a group of excited mer-princesses towards what he guessed was their primping area, all of them seeming to talk over one another. 

“We know you have a problem with floating,” Agneta said, guiding him towards an alcove that seemed to be carved out of the stone entirely. “So we figured out a way to solve that problem _and_ help you get ready – sort of like a two-in-one. See-” She dragged him low, where there was a bed of kelp was floating harmlessly up towards the ceiling, though it seemed to be a different color than any other he’d seen. “This is exfoliating kelp,” she explained, wrapping his hands and wrists in it. “Ten minutes in this and then your skin will be nice and smooth.”

“Like ours!” Adara-of-pink-hair cheered, wiggling her fingers at him.

“Um.” Chad tugged at the kelp tentatively, realizing that the way she’d wrapped the kelp sort of trapped his hands. “So I just wait, then?”

“No need,” blue hair dismissed with a wave of her hand. “There’s six of us. You just float and we’ll take care of you, okay?”

“O…kay,” Chad said, and he didn’t realize the implications of her statement until the orange haired one was dragging his ankles upwards, until he was more or less upside down, being buoyed down by the kelp. 

Thankfully, Uma’s spell kept the blood from rushing to his head, but it was still kind of odd. 

“Don’t worry,” Aclina soothed, turning so that she was also floating upside down to stare him in the eye, her brown hair curled close to her head. “We won’t touch your torso.”

“Just your fins!” green hair cheered. “And maybe your hair? _Oh_ , we could do a nice seaweed mask.”

“They’re _legs_ , Airlia,” Lilac – Agneta – tutted.

“Right.” Green hair grinned. “It’s like _two_ fins.”

“Let’s just get to work,” Aclina sighed, and then they all sort of descended upon him. Two worked on his head, like they’d mentioned before, one lathering some sort of gel through his curls while another applied that seaweed mask that felt kind of refreshing. Those two were harmless enough, but Chad couldn’t help but be distracted by the _four_ that seemed to be working on his legs, lathering his wetsuit pants with a thick layer of foam that wouldn’t be a problem, if they didn’t seem dedicated to get _everywhere_.

“This will get your scales all nice and gleaming,” pink hair explained, scrubbing at his inner thigh. “…though yours are sort of weird. All soft and squishy.”

“How do you get them to change color?” another one asked, straying dangerously close to Chad’s butt. She pinched the material between her fingers. “Do humans have camouflage?”

“You know they don’t,” Agneta sighed, but then she was scrubbing at Chad’s _groin_ and that was- that was a very big problem. “I think this is a covering, just like our shells.”

“Y-Yeah, that’s- that’s right,” Chad breathed, cheeks feeling warm. “But um, could you stop-?”

“ _Ugh_ , we’re so stupid,” orange hair huffed. “We’re supposed to be cleaning _him_ , not his shells. How do we get this thing off?”

Chad’s pulse immediately skyrocketed, his hands tensing in the kelp. “You don’t have to- I mean, you don’t need to-”

“We said we’d help you,” the one working on his hair tutted, and that was all the warning he got before one of them released a sound of triumph.

“Got it!” pink hair chirped, tugging at the waist of his pants. “We just have to pull these down-”

“Please don’t,” Chad said, tugging against the kelp. “I would prefer if you didn’t-”

“There’s no need to be shy,” one of them tutted, and then Chad had to deal with the very real fact that four princesses were working together to tug his pants off, rolling them down (up?) his legs until they were gathered around his ankles.

“ _Wow_ ,” one of them breathed, the water shifting around Chad’s bare groin so that one of them might be staring at him. “Is that-?”

“Of course not,” Brown hair huffed. “Those only appear on mermen when they’re ready for sex. Prince Chad obviously isn’t ready for _that_.”

“So it’s something else then?” orange hair asked, and then there was a hand _between_ Chad’s legs, fondling him and angling him every which way, and it was a level of direct contact he hadn’t felt in a while because Audrey preferred to be the one um- receiving attention rather than touching Chad- which was _fine_ , though it was less fine because this princess was touching and pumping him and his face was getting unbearably hot.

“Another fin?” Pink hair breathed. “A hidden one?”

“S-Stop,” Chad stuttered, trying to shift his hips out of her grasp, only to be met by the waiting hands of another curious princess who also wanted to touch, inspecting him while yet another toyed with the curve of his butt. “That’s um- human reproductive organs don’t retract-”

“Look how red it’s getting!” One of them cheered. “And full too.”

“Yeah,” another one said, joining the hands on Chad’s groin. “It feels kind of heavy.”

“I bet he needs to be milked!” orange hair gushed. “Like the salmon? See, his egg sack’s full.”

“That’s not-” Chad’s breath caught when they started fondling his _testicles_ , and even though he was trying very hard not to get turned on there was also a lot of people touching him and he really wanted them to _stop_ touching him and _what would Audrey think_? 

Worse, what would _Uma_ think?

“ _Awww_ , poor boy,” one of them cooed, pumping him in earnest, making his thighs shake. “You’re fit to burst, aren’t you?”

“N-no, no.” Chad shook his head desperately, trying to rediscover his equilibrium. “I’m fine. Please, stop-”

“You don’t have to be embarrassed,” brown hair tutted. “We know humans have different needs than merpeople-”

“I think he’s close!” one of the ones pumping him said. Another was steadily squeezing his sack, making rivulets of arousal burst through his torso. 

“ _Ah-_ ” It was like Chad couldn’t breathe, couldn’t catch his breath, he was so overwhelmed and caught off guard. “P-Please-”

“What’s this?” Delicate hands parted his cheeks, and he could hear at least two of them marvel at that tight ring of muscle. “Does _this_ need to be cleaned?”

“It might be where he excretes things,” the other mused. “Weird that it’s kind of just out all the time, but-”

“Yeah, we should clean that,” the first one said, and then there was a squishy sponge carefully rubbing at Chad’s entrance while he was very much getting a handjob. 

“He’s leaking!” the one teasing his tip chirped, and Chad was very much glad he was upside down so he couldn’t _see_ it happening, even though he could feel it.

“That’s good,” brown hair said. The six of them now appeared to be exclusively focused on Chad’s legs.

“I need a longer sponge,” one behind him said, and that was all the warning he got before he felt something soft and squishy slowly get pressed _inside_ him. 

It freaked Chad out, enough that he was frozen still, because he and Jay had awkwardly talked about _maybe_ doing something like that, but Chad had always gotten too embarrassed for Jay to get past the ‘feeling’ point, let alone push something _inside_ and now there was something that was both more and less substantial than one of Jay’s fingers, that squished in but seemed to expand and stroke and _rub_ until he was shivering and moaning instead of keening in pain.

“Huh,” the one behind him hummed before she started shifting the sponge in and out of him in small, quick movements that should be horrific but instead Chad felt _good_ , and then humiliated by that response because his groin was throbbing in the princesses’ hands.

“Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it,” brown hair decided, scrubbing at Chad’s hip while she watched the proceedings with a keen eye.

“So it would seem that male humans derive enjoyment from having their excretion holes cleaned,” Lilac hair noted, and when it was put that clinically Chad could feel nothing but shame, a deep heat that spread larger in his chest the more sponge was urged into him. “Fascinating.”

“T-That’s not-” Chad was having trouble taking deep breaths, teetering close to the edge of a panic attack, but like, a sexually charged one and he didn’t even know what that _was_. “P-Please don’t-”

“ _Oooh_ , are you _not_ supposed to like it?” she asked, the sponge seeming to move more intentionally.

“Aww, don’t care what other people think,” pink hair chirped. “If you enjoy it, you do you.”

“Go deeper,” another one urged, and that was the warning Chad got before the sponge scraped against unchecked territory that left Chad _writhing_ , embarrassed and hard and hot and he didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t get his hands free and they weren’t listening and he was pretty sure this wasn’t helping him get _untainted_ but he also didn’t want to be rude when they were trying so very hard to help.

“He likes it!” the one with a hand between his legs cheered. “Keep moving it in and out.”

“Maybe we should add another one?”

A distinct heat built behind Chad’s eyes when the sponge was _slowly_ dragged out of him, making him know how much he truly hate himself because it had been _long_ , and then they were sliding in two together, and it should hurt – Jay had said it would hurt – but they were slippery waited to expand until they were inside Chad and the feel of himself stretching around them _ached_ but also felt good and Audrey had said they weren’t supposed to _do_ this kind of stuff.

“S-Stop, please,” Chad whispered, voice barely audible. “Ah- _ah-_ ”

He was going to fall apart in front of six princesses which seemed on a basic level the _last_ thing he should do. He was going to fall apart in front of _six_ princesses and maybe that would make King Triton retract his support, because Chad was a pervert and Chad was a slut and Chad was a weirdo who enjoyed people messing with his butt and he wanted it to stop, just- wanted to go back to hiding in his room but these princesses he barely knew were trying so hard to help him and he was rude enough to take that for granted and he just really wanted _Uma_ despite the fact she should never see him like this.

“Hey,” one of the princesses said, her voice flittering past Chad’s ears because his eyes were squeezed shut in an effort to keep his fracturing emotions in check. “Why’s it glowing?”

When Chad risked opening his eyes, he noticed a soft flare of light that hadn’t been there before, and distantly registered a stir of warmth around his neck. It was Uma’s shell necklace, though he wasn’t sure how _he_ had made it start glowing. Maybe she was looking for him? Or-

“Is it doing anything?” another asked, drifting closer to Chad’s neck. “Looks like it’s just lighting up.”

“Like your own glow stone!” the pink one chirped. “Aww, that’s sweet. You don’t ever have to be afraid of the dark.”

“Yeah,” the one behind him said as she pushed the sponges deeper than before. “It’s _real_ romantic.”

“Oh _hush_ , Agneta,” a different one tutted. “Green is not a good color on you-”

“ _Get **away** from him!_” A voice – _Uma’s_ voice – roared, seeming to reverberate through the cavern and resonate deep in Chad’s bones. He could feel the water shift around him, mermaids being swept away by the current with a few shocked cries. 

Chad should be horrified but mostly he was glad, even as he floated there somewhat uselessly, hard and naked and very, very dumb.

“We were just _helping_ him,” the brown haired one bristled. “You don’t have to get all territorial-”

“ _Shut up_ ,” Uma snapped, closer now, and only then did Chad risk opening his eyes again. 

She had her tentacles curled around him, blocking him from view, and a lazy sweep of her hand had Chad’s hands free from the kelp. Immediately, he moved to turn himself back upright, feeling stupid with his pants down and that stuff still on his face and in his hair and he was so very aroused.

“ _What_ is the meaning of this?” King Triton’s voice rumbled, and _that_ was when Chad felt his stomach drop completely, made him freeze in the protected curl of Uma’s arms.

“We were just helping-”

“You _psycho_ granddaughters were molesting Chad,” Uma snarled, holding Chad closer, which he normally enjoyed but his groin was brushing against her dress and he was pretty sure he was still leaking and the sponges were still _inside_ him-

“We are _not-_ ” the Aclina one cut off with a sputter. “We didn’t _molest_ him!”

“How many times did he ask you to stop?” Uma growled, and only then did the mermaids seem to freeze, sharing looks with each other.

“We just thought he was being shy,” the pink haired one admitted.

Chad couldn’t stop shaking, painfully aware of the looks he was getting, the renewed attention, and he’d just wanted to be polite and not mess things up and in doing so it seemed like he’d messed up _everything_.

“…Chadwick?” the king said softly.

“I’m sorry,” Chad gasped, squeezing his eyes shut as tears gathered and floated away in the ocean waters. “I’m _sorry_. I- p-please just- just forget this- _please-_ ”

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Uma urged, wrapping an arm around his waist, and even now Chad could still find a way to perceive that as _appealing_ rather than show some kind of restraint. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Uma,” the king said, his voice still so very gentle. “Could you take Prince Chadwick back to your room?”

“Certainly,” Uma said, her tone shifting from calm to that of a sure and steady leader. “But you’d better take care of this.”

“It will be done,” the king said, entirely solemn, and that was all Uma seemed to need. She urged the wetsuit back up with one of her tentacles before tucking Chad close to her body and swimming back to their room in the blink of an eye, muttering low curses all the way. 

“U-Uma,” Chad gasped as she settled them down on the kelp bed – friendly kelp that didn’t trap him, that was just as gentle as Uma’s tentacles. “I’m so sorry-”

“I meant what I said earlier,” she soothed, rubbing carefully at his cheeks even though there weren’t any tear tracks, clearing the seaweed mask off. “Now tell me what you need.”

“I- I-” Chad felt so shaky. “They- they put um- these- s- _sponges_ in-” He cut off with a sharp gasp as his breaths seemed to come faster. “- _inside_ and I- I liked-”

“That’s okay,” Uma said instead of dismissing him, instead of villainizing him the way Audrey would have. “It’s okay if it felt good, blondie, it’s supposed to feel good.”

“B-But Audrey doesn’t- doesn’t like it when-” Chad swallowed. “And they’re _still_ \- still inside and-”

Uma didn’t say anything, merely tucked Chad close to her chest, holding him in her lap as she eased the back of his pants down. That time when Chad’s breath caught, it was from a growing sort of anticipation because he was _greedy_ , but he couldn’t find the energy to hate himself when Uma’s fingers curled between his cheeks, slipping inside-

“ _Ah-_ ” Chad moaned when she dragged the sponges out, seeming to move especially slow. “ _Uma_.”

“Do you like that?” she asked, seeming genuinely interested and not at all disgusted as she- she _teased_ a finger against that ring of muscle.

“I-” It felt like a trap, but Chad was so overwhelmed he couldn’t lie. “It’s b-better with you.”

That seemed to make her tense, though she immediately relaxed herself. “Of course it is. You trust me to take care of you.”

The statement made Chad flush all the way down to his toes. “B-Because we’re allies?”

“…yeah, baby,” she murmured, lips brushing against his curls. “Do you want me to finish taking care of you?”

“I-” The idea made his breath catch. “I couldn’t ask that of you-”

“I’m offering, slick,” she said, carding a hand through his hair. The hand behind him pulled away and was replaced by something more substantial, slippery and firm but fluid, a strange dichotomy that had him moaning as it stretched him wide.

“ _Uma_ ,” he gasped, his groin throbbing viciously. “Is- is that-?” 

“Let’s just say my tentacles are useful for more than swimming,” Uma hummed, and then Chad had to live with the knowledge that Uma was using one of her tentacles to _tease_ him, pumping in and out of him in slow curls that made him feel entirely lost.

“I’m gonna-” he said, fumbling with the waist of his wetsuit pants on reflex before stilling his hand. “Uma, I-”

“Do you want me to see?” she asked, a seemingly innocent question that Chad should say no to but instead his mouth said-

“ _Yes_.”

Needy. Horribly needy and Audrey hated it, but Uma just- teased his pants down for him, revealing his groin with a low whistle of appreciation that made Chad shiver.

“Isn’t that a lovely sight?” she cooed, and she didn’t even seem to be joking, her dark fingers curling around him and giving a deliberate pump that left Chad mewling. “Can’t wait to show this to the boys.”

“ _Uma_ ,” Chad said, the very idea making his chest hurt.

“They appreciate pretty things,” Uma continued like she hadn’t just casually offered a thing that _wasn’t done_. “And you’re so very pretty. I’d have to make Harry sit on his hands just to keep him from ravishing you.”

Chad shuddered, knowing the words weren’t true, were just a kind story because Uma was feeling generous, but the thought of it made Chad moan.

“I’d let Gil help you,” Uma continued blithely. “He likes being helpful. And honestly, he’s not the most skilled, but he’s got a lot of enthusiasm to make up for it.”

Chad wanted to tell her that any amount of attention would rock _his_ world, but that seemed like a disservice to the picture she was painting, even if it was getting harder to focus on it the faster that tentacle pumped in and out of him. The suckers were catching on him- making him stretch wider at odd moments that made him twitch and shake, but Uma was there to guide him through all of it, telling him how pretty he was, how good he felt. 

“And after my boys were done with you, after you’d put on the prettiest show and thought you had no more to give, I would work you up again so they could have an encore performance. And they’d touch themselves watching you get so wet-”

“ _Uma_ ,” Chad moaned, because no one would do that. Jay had sort of done that, but that was like, an exception, not the rule.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Uma hissed, pulling her hand off him. “Fuck it.”

She pulled her hand away from his length and flicked it in a quick circle, summoning what seemed to be some kind of forcefield around it that didn’t hurt. It seemed to move with him, accommodating for each pulse with a relentless hum of warmth, and Chad got lost focusing on that for a second, enough so that he didn’t realize Uma had more in store until she was moving. She guided him forward up against the core of her tentacles, and he shuddered at the press of slick, squishy flesh before it almost seemed to- to part _around_ him, taking him inside- like-

“ _Yes_ ,” Uma breathed, her head falling back as the tentacle pushing into Chad rutted him deeper into her warmth.

“Uma, _Uma_ \- are we-?” Chad could hardly believe it, hardly _think_ over the tentacle inside him and the tight warmth around him and this was so much, too much.

“Why?” Uma asked, eyes half lidded and lips parted as she took in needy gulps of water. “You grossed out?”

“No,” Chad gasped when she drew him close again, started working him in and out of her the same way the tentacle pumped in and out of _him_. “S-Should I be?”

Oh _no_ , maybe he should be. Maybe he liked butt stuff and mermaid sex and those were all broken, taboo things and this had all been some grand test that he had failed.

But Uma was grinning at him, that wicked, self-satisfied thing as she _squeezed_ around him. “Nope,” she drawled, letting the word trail off with a sigh. “ _Fuck_ , this feels so much better. We’re going to do this for now on.”

“ _Uma_.” She shouldn’t say stuff like that, mostly because Chad didn’t really know what they were doing and also he had to win over Audrey and Uma had her crew to think of and maybe he was just the best – or only – thing available to her- “Uma. _Uma_.”

“That’s it,” she coaxed, cupping the base of his neck as she urged him faster. “What’s my name?”

“ _Uma_ ,” Chad gasped, and he fell apart with a ferocity he had only ever rivaled with Jay, arousal ripping through him like a bolt of lightning. He could _feel_ himself unload into that forcefield, feel the way she responded to it, seeming to tighten ferociously before she was moaning too, this gooey sort of wetness spurting out of her and smearing against Chad’s pelvis until they were both kind of a mess. 

They stayed like that for a few moments, trying to catch their breaths, before Uma eventually pulled her tentacle out of Chad, curling it around his waist to pull him out of _her_ , and he knew he shouldn’t watch but he couldn’t help but catch that shiny opening seem to disappear (or retract? The mermaids had mentioned something about that) as though it had never been there at all.

The forcefield vanished next, taking Chad’s release with it, until it was just the two of them trying to catch their breath. 

The collapsed next to each other curled up in the kelp, Uma’s tentacles hugging Chad close. He nuzzled into them on reflex, and it was both overwhelming and a relief when Uma curled her arms around him, dragging him close in a way she normally wouldn’t indulge.

“So… _maybe_ that wasn’t the best way to handle what happened,” Uma allowed, and while Chad had been expecting her to come to her senses, he just hadn’t thought it would be so fast. “But… are you okay?”

Chad swallowed, decided to go for broke and curled against her shoulder. “I’m okay. Thank you, Uma. For…” He flushed, wishing he was actually, in any way, charming. “For everything,” he settled on.

She let out a low hum, something that seemed to rumble through her chest in a comforting purr. “It was my pleasure, slick.”

Speaking of, he still had some smeared against his-

“Let’s go get cleaned up,” she said with a regretful sigh, tugging him towards their private bathroom-equivalent while she undid the back of her gown. “We’ve got a whirlpool with our names on it.”

“But um- what about the ball?” Chad asked, allowing himself to be gently tugged along.

“There will be other balls,” Uma dismissed. “The only ones I’m interested in now though, are yours.”

“ _Uma_.” Chad pressed a hand against his face, forever embarrassed by her cackles, but then she was guiding his clothes the rest of the way off with a gentleness the other princesses could never manage, cuddling him in the safe confines of her tentacles in the swirling waters of their whirlpool.

“Yeah…” she trailed off with a laugh. “Harry’s not going to know what to do with you.”

Chad had a feeling that would be entirely mutual. But if it kept Uma as his ally, well…

It was worth it. Period.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the enthusiastic feedback for last chapter!! I love reading your responses, especially with all the craziness going on in the world right now. I hope to provide as nice an escape for you as you guys do for me, so thank you so much for your support :)
> 
> Story notes:
> 
> I saw a fanart comic that demonstrated Ursula’s corruption via the misuse of magic in an attempt to bring her father back to life – that was where I drew inspiration from for the whole squid-maid thing. 
> 
> Also, let’s assume that Uma’s water breathing spell also helped Chad see in the dark and protected his eyes from the salt water. Let’s just go ahead and pretend that was included ;)
> 
> Merroway Cove is a kingdom from the show Sophia the First, and while I don’t know much about it, I do know that it has mermaids. 
> 
> All of King Triton’s granddaughters are entirely made up. I can’t remember who belongs to who or where I even found the names (curse you, lack of notes), but hey, if you need random mermaid OCs, feel free to use them. Just give me a shoutout in the endnotes :)
> 
> For reference – Aclina (brown hair), Agneta (lilac hair), Adara (pink hair), Airlia (green hair)
> 
> Shoutout to the obligatory ‘what’s my name?’ ;P
> 
> Magic condoms for the win ;D
> 
> WARNING – Non-con – Basically, Chad gets assaulted by a bunch of mermaids in the last scene of the chapter. It is framed as a gross cultural misunderstanding, at least that’s what Chad sees it as, but the six are very much aware of what they are doing. If you would prefer to skip all mentions of this, look for:
> 
> “You know they don’t,” Agneta sighed, but then she was scrubbing at Chad’s groin and that was- that was a very big problem. “I think this is a covering, just like our shells.”
> 
> You can jump back in at:
> 
> “…Chadwick?” the king said softly. 
> 
> This will get you to Uma taking care of Chad in the aftermath, where things get a bit heated. If you would like to skip that as well, you can jump back in at:
> 
> “So… maybe that wasn’t the best way to handle what happened,” Uma allowed, and while Chad had been expecting her to come to her senses, he just hadn’t thought it would be so fast. “But… are you okay?” 
> 
> Until next time


	9. Three Months Ago – Part 2

-:-:-:-:-:-

_Three Months Ago_

-:-:-:-:-:-

Later, Chad was asked a variety of questions – questions about if he wanted to press charges, if Sardinia required reparations, if a formal notice needed to be lodged with Central Auradon. Despite Uma’s glower, Chad had said no to all of these things – no, no, and _no_ , please. He’d begged it off as a cultural difference and merely asked that updated human cultural information be available to merchildren to better round out their educations.

Uma thought her distant cousins were being let off too easily, but Chad just wanted the whole mess to be left behind him. 

“If you think for a second I am not telling Blondie and her boy toy, you are _wrong_ ,” Uma growled when they began swimming back towards the surface.

“Uma.” Chad tensed. “Please, don’t- don’t do that. You’re making a big deal of nothing.”

“They made you _cry_ ,” she snarled, and that was apparently that.

Despite the fact that ocean travel wasn’t really down to a specific science, both Queen Rapunzel and King Eugene were waiting for them in the private cove when Uma breached the surface, the sorceress speeding them towards the beach faster than she normally would have as she rushed to undo the water breathing spell and her tentacle transformation.

“I would ask how it went, but your expression doesn’t say good things,” King Eugene noted when they drew close enough. “What went wrong?”

“Nothing,” Chad interrupted before Uma got the chance to, graciously accepting the fluffy bathrobe Queen Rapunzel offered him. “Uma really hit it off with King Triton, and we were able to win over most of the public interest to her side-”

“My dipshit cousins tried to rape Chad,” Uma snapped, the words echoed with an angry pulse of water that rippled out from her feet almost reflexively. “And he let them get away with it.”

“They weren’t- that _wasn’t_ what they were trying to do,” Chad pressed, feeling flustered and stupid. “They were trying to help me get ready for the ball, but they didn’t really understand human biology-”

“I think they understand human biology _just fine_ ,” Uma growled. “They’d been eyeing you for days, the lousy _fucks_.”

“Uma,” Chad groaned, trailing helplessly after her. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“They tied you up so you couldn’t fight back,” Uma snapped. “That’s bad. I know bad, I was raised by villains!”

The words hung in the air, angry and unrepentant, and Chad didn’t know what to say, because the only thing he had to offer Uma was an apology, and he knew she didn’t want it. 

“Okay,” King Eugene said, finally cutting in. “We’re going to take a step back now. Captain, you’re with me. Blondie-”

“I’ve got Chad,” Queen Rapunzel said, hooking her arm through Chad’s own, despite the fact that she had just listened to Uma explain that he’d been dumb enough to be molested by mermaids. That was a new personal record.

“ _Whatever_ ,” Uma snarled, and then she was marching back up the cove, King Eugene trailing dutifully after her.

Queen Rapunzel hummed. “Why don’t we take the scenic route?”

“…okay,” Chad said, wishing his actions hadn’t ruined Uma’s triumphant homecoming. They should be having a celebratory picnic right now, except instead Uma was going to spend the afternoon lashing out at a fencing dummy while King Eugene heckled her, and Chad couldn’t even be nearby to support her because his presence made things worse.

“Chad,” Queen Rapunzel spoke up after a few minutes. “Uma isn’t mad at you.” Chad felt himself tense, was ready to object, but then the queen kept talking. “She’s mad about what happened,” she explained. “She’s mad because she couldn’t protect you. She’s frustrated because she cares about you, but she is not mad _at_ you.”

If Queen Rapunzel was taking the time to spell this out to Chad, then it was probably true. In the time they’d been together, he hadn’t really known her to lie.

“…she’s mad I won’t press charges,” Chad whispered, not daring to raise his voice higher. “But I don’t see how that will help.”

If anything, it would make what had happened to him be made more public, and then Audrey wouldn’t want anything to do with him. At least this way it got swept under the rug.

“You have to do what’s best for you, Chad,” the queen said eventually. “I have no doubt that King Triton is seeing that those girls get some kind of punishment or other. But if you don’t want what happened to be a matter of public record, that’s your choice. Though please know this doesn’t make you _less_.”

Chad didn’t see how it possibly couldn’t.

Thankfully, Queen Rapunzel kept talking before he could stumble through a way to explain that. “How do you feel about what happened, Chad?” she asked. “You can be honest with me.”

It wasn’t an order, more along the lines of a request, because she respected him. It was weird, to have an ally inquire into his wellbeing, but Chad supposed it came with the territory.

“…I feel stupid,” he admitted. “I just- I _tried_ to ask them to stop, and I could have shouted for help at any time. I guess, I just- I wanted to get out of the situation diplomatically. I didn’t- I didn’t want to make a scene.”

“Chad,” Queen Rapunzel squeezed his arm, her gaze seeming very firm. “No matter who they were or what they were doing, as seemingly innocent as it may be, the moment that you asked them to stop, they should have _stopped_. That’s not a cultural misunderstanding, that is a basic decency all living beings are due.” She slid her hand into his, as though she wasn’t afraid to touch him, as though he wasn’t tainted. “It sounds me like they took advantage of you – they took advantage of your kind nature and your desire to maintain good relations with Atlantica. They were counting on you to be the generous, gentle prince that Uma had been bragging about.”

“Uma brags about me?” Chad asked, his mind choosing to focus on _that_ while the rest of Queen Rapunzel’s words danced in his mind.

The queen offered him a soft grin. “All the time,” she said. “Not that she’ll own up to it. You have left quite an impression on her.”

Chad felt himself blushing, but this, at least, was from a sort of happy place, instead of the usual humiliation that seemed to follow him around.

“Chad,” Queen Rapunzel began quietly. “What happened to you- what they did- that was a very bad thing. Uma was right about that. So I want you to know that you are allowed to feel bad about it. You don’t have to try and shove it away or pretend it didn’t happen, because it _did_ happen. It shouldn’t have happened, but it did, and most importantly, it was not _your fault_. It was those princesses’ faults, and they will be the ones taking the blame for it, no one else.”

“I…” Chad didn’t know what to say. The Queen had already covered his biggest concerns, about being _less_ or being a baby because he couldn’t move on. He’d known what they did was wrong, but hearing it from her – well, it was sort of validating. Like he couldn’t trust his own judgment, but a queen’s – it seemed more substantial.

“I was thinking,” Queen Rapunzel said when it became obvious Chad couldn’t continue. “I would like you to see a counselor.”

“I’m not crazy,” Chad said, feeling a spike of panic as he relived echoes of his grandfather’s snarling voice echoing through the halls of the castle, how his son _didn’t need a therapist_ , and he _wasn’t crazy_ and the rest of them were just _weak and wrong_.

The queen paused, giving him a concerned look. “I never said you were.”

“Therapists are for crazy people.”

“Who told you that?” the queen asked while Chad tried to steady his pulse.

He wasn’t really successful. “…my grandfather.”

For a moment, the queen didn’t say anything, and then she was tugging him forward. “Your grandfather was misinformed,” she said simply. “In Corona, there’s a lot of different reasons to see a therapist. A lot of times its beneficial to have a neutral third party help you manage coping mechanisms while you work through traumatic events. Or any kind of event, really,” she said, just when he was about to protest. “I think it could be very helpful to you, but if you don’t want anyone to know about it, it would be our little secret.”

“But… King Eugene.”

The queen smiled. “I can keep secrets from him, when it really matters,” she said offhandedly, like Chad was a thing that really mattered.

Maybe he did.

Chad swallowed. “I’ll um… if you think- if you think that’s a good idea, I’ll give it a try,” he said. “In the meantime, though, could you- what should I do with Uma?”

“Give her space,” the queen advised, giving him a bright smile. “She’ll come back to you when she’s ready.”

-:-:-:-:-:-

As it turned out, Queen Rapunzel was right. 

Uma stumbled home – back into their guest bedroom – sometime after midnight smelling like sweat and sea. She didn’t even change, simply chucked her sword and boots aside and crawled underneath the covers so she could wrap herself around Chad, burying her nose in his hair.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” was the first thing she said. “I’m not actually mad at you, and there’s a list of other shit I’m supposed to say, but the bottom line is I’m sorry I couldn’t help you better and um, you’re…” She trailed off with a sigh. “Whatever. I’m gonna cast a spell on you that will let me know when you’re in danger more expeditiously, so… just be comfortable with that.”

It was a very generous offer, and somehow, Chad managed to hear all the things she didn’t say.

“Thank you, Captain,” he said quietly, leaning into her hold.

Uma scoffed. “Don’t mention it, blondie,” she said, relaxing like things were back to normal. “Seriously.”

“I won’t,” Chad promised.

He would never be foolish enough to do such a thing. Audrey had trained him better than that.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_Present Day_

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Do you want the bad news, or the good news that is actually more bad news?” Carlos asked from where he’d set up in Ben’s lounge, gaze split between two different laptops and his phone.

“The better news,” Mal said with an unimpressed glare.

Carlos sighed. “I _was_ able to track down a call initiated by Duke Francis to Audrey during the time of Chad’s political retreat. There are no accessible recordings of the conversation, but I do have a record of Duke Francis driving to the Auradon National Park the same day as Audrey. Unfortunately there’s no cameras in that area, which they were likely banking on. We can only speculate that they may have met, which won’t help us in a court of law.”

“So if we’re guessing anyway,” Uma spoke up. “We could probably also say that the Duke was convincing Audrey to show an interest in Chad.”

“Not that we can prove it,” Carlos said, his fingers trailing across his keyboard in a rapid flutter. “But I _do_ have footage of Audrey making a lot of expensive cash purchases after that point, though her account showed no cash withdrawals.” 

“Which is also conjecture,” Ben said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “And _please_ don’t tell me how you got that information.”

Carlos shot off a distracted finger gun at him. “You got it, boss.” He was careful to tilt his laptop away from Ben so Mal and Uma could see what he was talking about. “Now, onto the even less good news.”

“There’s _more_?” Jay asked, pacing a furious line behind them.

Carlos, having more experience with anxious Jay than the rest of them, dutifully ignored him. “Fairy Godmother said Chad was pulled for a political retreat. There’s a call from Duke Francis to the school to support that. _But_.” He tapped the laptop screen a few times. “I have no record of Chad ever leaving the campus. At first I thought I was missing something, and then I realized in my second go through that there’s about an hour of security footage missing. An hour where he could have and probably did leave campus.” He typed a few more things into the laptop. “I started scanning bus footage and traffic cams for any sign of Chad, and when that failed, I looked for any Sardinian cars that may have entered Auradon City in that timeframe. I got one hit.”

He pulled up a picture of a nondescript car, the windows tinted dark. “ _This_ bad boy meets the qualifications, and in addition to that, drives straight to Sardinia.” He gestured towards the screen again. “So I ran the license plate number, and do you know what I found?”

“More civil violations?” Ben wondered, likely despairing at Carlos’ fragrant disregard of digital boundaries.

“I mean.” Carlos shrugged. “Sort of. The license is unlisted.”

“What the fuck does _that_ mean?” Mal snapped, folding her arms across her chest.

“It means that someone went through a lot of trouble making sure this car couldn’t be tracked,” Carlos explained. “Now, Chad was brought back from Sardinia in a different car, but they took the same route. Clearly that could be labeled as a coincidence instead of habit, but it leaves us with a whole lot of questions. Like, they didn’t care if we found where Chad came from, because he was supposed to be at a retreat in Sardinia anyway. But _getting_ him there – the day _before_ the Duke called, that was what they chose to keep off the beaten track. Meaning that whatever was done to him happened in the Sardinian Castle.”

“This just keeps getting worse,” Ben sighed, reaching out desperately until he had a hand on Mal’s shoulder, until he could curl around her. “If we’re going off these facts, Chad’s grandfather kidnapped him – did _something_ to him for a week before shipping him back to school like nothing had happened at all, except he looked exhausted and thin and can’t- couldn’t stay in the same room as me anymore.”

A heavy silence fell over them, Chad doing his best to keep still where he was huddled by Gil and Harry’s feet. The pirates had decided to stay out of the way this time, letting the more determined energies lead the way, and while that worked for Chad, it was easy to see that they were hurting too. Perhaps they were more empathetic than he’d known.

“…and we can’t prove any of it,” Mal whispered, hand tensing into such a furious fist that it trembled against her side. “That _fuck_ could be holding Chad hostage right now, doing who knows what and we can’t do a damn thing about it!”

“Not with that attitude,” Uma cut in, her gaze hard and unrelenting. “What happened to Mal, the unstoppable daughter of Maleficent? Don’t tell me love made you soft.”

“There’s rules here, Uma!” Mal snapped, and yet despite her anger, she held Ben close, Jay moving to curl against the king’s back until he was cradled between them. “We can’t just storm that castle without knowing if Chad is actually there. It could start a war!”

“Which might be just what he wants,” Harry drawled, speaking up for the first time. It was one surefire way to get everyone’s attention. “Old guy doesn’t like Ben because he ‘tainted’ Chad, right? But what if it’s more than that? I mean-” He leaned forward slowly, as though building toward a dramatic climax. “Mal and Jay touched him too. Hell, he _dated_ Jay, but blondie didn’t come back terrified of _them_ , did he? It was just Ben. Which begs the question, why?”

“He wanted to keep him away from me,” Ben murmured.

“And what does he gain from that?” Harry asked. “What tactical advantage does having the future king of Sardinia being afraid of the _current_ king of Auradon offer him?”

“It… could make Ben look bad?” Carlos offered. “Make people talk, if Chad reacted violently to him.”

“Except Chad wouldn’t,” Uma said, brows furrowed in thought. “If his grandpa said to jump, he wouldn’t even ask how high, he’d just _do it_. Same goes for avoiding Ben.”

“Right,” Harry agreed with a nod of his head. “Which means that the duke was hoping that _Ben_ would seek him out, eventually.”

There was a moment of silence while the words soaked in, not that Chad understood them, because why would Ben seek _him_ out?

“He wasn’t worried about Mal or Jay, they’re Isle kids,” Harry dismissed with a wave of his hand. “The only power they have is what Ben has given them. It’s _Ben_ that’s a threat. Because if Ben likes Chad, wants to do…” He made a loose gesture between Mal, Jay, and Ben. “- _You know_ , then that gives Chad power. It gives him validation from a reigning king.”

“Which… the Duke doesn’t want,” Uma declared suddenly, eyes going wide. “The entire time I knew him, Chad put himself down. Said he was too dumb, too stupid, wasn’t good at talking to people – I just thought he had impossible standards, but what if that’s all shit Duke Francis has been telling him?” She nodded slowly, as though content in her assessment, even though she was wrong. Chad knew he was dumb, he had _proof_. “If Chad dies, who’s next in line for the Sardinian throne?”

Carlos typed something into his computer, and a few clicks later, he had an answer. “Some distant nephew.”

“And has that nephew been getting a lot of publicity?” Uma pressed. “Let’s say over the last few years. Has he attended royal functions? Been seen in the eyes of the press?”

Carlos did some more searching, then nodded. “Yeah, he has.”

“What are you saying, Uma?” Ben asked, voice barely a whisper.

“I’m saying that Duke Francis has been prepping a replacement for _years_ now. As far as I can tell, Chad’s father isn’t even in the picture-”

Ben spoke up. “After Queen Ella died-”

“Right.” Uma nodded. “ _Exactly_. Now my question is, how did she die?”

There was a tense pause, and then Carlos cleared his throat. “…it looks like it was an automobile accident,” he murmured, staring at his laptop screen. “Chad was supposed to be in the car with her, but there was a last-minute schedule change that left him with his dad.”

“This shit is bigger than some unconventional relationship,” Uma drawled, folding her arms across her chest. “This is treason in the highest degree. Duke Francis didn’t like a commoner muddying the waters of his precious family line, so he did away with her, _tried_ to do away with the kid, and when that failed, spent the rest of Chad’s life trying to break him down so he’d surrender the throne willingly.”

That was- that wasn’t true. That couldn’t be true – Chad’s mom had died in an _accident_. It was just a misfortunate thing, and Chad would have been with her but a thunderstorm had started up and he’d gotten scared, so he’d spent his dad’s council meeting sitting on the floor at the king’s feet, making crayon drawings-

“You know,” Mal’s gaze seemed to be fixed to the distance, as though she was lost in thought. “I was always confused about how he could have such low grades but still seem to know so much. Could you…” She turned to Carlos. “Could you review his schoolwork for inconsistencies?” 

“I can.” Carlos nodded. “It will take some time, though. What am I looking for?”

“Right answers marked wrong,” she said, slowly growing into the idea. “Deductions made on technicalities that didn’t apply to anyone else.” She paused, then. “Start with the homework Evie did for him. That should be a perfect grade. If it’s not…”

“He must have paid off Chad’s teachers,” Carlos deduced. “To make him think he was dumber than he was.”

“And then he let him hang out with _Audrey_ who did nothing but take advantage of him,” Uma finished with a low growl.

That was- none of that was right. Chad was just dumb. They thought too highly of him, and Audrey _never_ took advantage-

“How could someone hate their family this much?” Ben whispered, pressing a hand to his mouth. He seemed so genuinely _wrecked_ by the prospect of it, eyes shining with unshed tears. It was an effort Chad didn’t deserve, especially when he was fine, his grandfather wasn’t _that_ bad he just- Chad had just gotten himself turned into a dumb cat. They needed to stop panicking.

The others’ expressions went stony, even Gil, who’d spent most of the conversation fretting with his hands.

It was Uma that eventually spoke up. “…you’d be surprised.”

They didn’t say anything for a few moments, likely dwelling on that one unfortunate fact of life until Carlos cleared his throat.

“I’ll try and gather more information for you,” he whispered, turning back to his laptops. “In the meantime, don’t do anything _stupid_. He’s likely counting on that.”

“ _Fuck_ ,” Jay hissed under his breath. “Damn, shit- _fuck_ this fucking _shit_.”

Mal sighed. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

-:-:-:-:-:-

_Two Months Ago_

-:-:-:-:-:-

Things seemed… different, after the events of Atlantica. 

Uma slept closer to him for one, always seemed to curl around his back like some sort of protective shield. Chad reveled in the comfort, a sort of affection he had never received before, though he had the feeling Uma was just being practical. Trying to hold Chad together when it was obvious he could fall apart easily. He was the face of her operation, and she needed him in good shape. If a few cuddles helped achieve this then, well, more power to her.

Still, it was nice. At least… until Chad’s body started getting the wrong idea.

Intellectually, he knew his responses were a natural part of biology, because he wasn’t used to having someone so close by and that someone was _Uma_ , who was very pretty and strong and made Chad feel especially safe. Chad’s admiration probably bled into his subconscious, which was likely why he found himself waking up with a distinct hardness between his legs almost every morning. 

Part of this terrified him, because he thought back to Atlantica and how being aroused was just- the _last_ thing he wanted, but then Uma had- and that had been _nice_. 

He tried to ignore it, hoping the problem would go away, but of course it didn’t. He spent a lot of time attempting to meditate his predicament away, already knowing from experience that there was no way to sneak out of Uma’s hold without waking her, and Chad didn’t want _that_ either. 

He’d never thought about um- relieving the pressure himself. Mostly because Uma was _right there_ and it seemed to be a violation of her privacy, so Chad just suffered. Or, not really suffered. It wasn’t _that_ bad.

At least, not until the day Uma realized what was going on.

She must have woken up before him, nuzzling against his shoulder while he was still half asleep and readjusting her grip on his waist to hold him closer, which on one hand was great but on the other she might have _brushed_ against something, and instead of a disgusted scoff, she seemed to chuckle, her hand moving to cup the bulge between Chad’s legs more deliberately. 

By the time Chad was coherent, she had a hand snuck down the front of his pants and was fondling him through the thin material of his underwear, the fabric stained with his growing excitement.

“ _Uma_ ,” Chad moaned, his hand scrambling for his wrist. “S-Stop, please.”

It was an immense relief that she listened to immediately, stilling her hand and removing it from his clothes altogether while Chad tried to catch his breath. That had been- yes, that was good, that was Uma and he could trust Uma-

“ _Shit_ ,” the captain hissed, pulling away from Chad. “I wasn’t even thinking. Sorry-” 

“N-No, don’t apologize,” Chad said, rushing to turn onto his back, needing to face her. “You were trying to help. I _know_ you were trying to help, and you listened-”

“Still,” she shook her head. “You just went through something like _that_ -”

“It’s okay,” Chad rushed to assure her. “That um- that wasn’t why I stopped you anyway.”

Uma paused her quest to beat herself up to shoot him a considering glance. “It wasn’t?”

“No.” Chad shook his head, pooling the blanket in his lap to hide his affected state. “I um- I greatly appreciate it a lot, Uma. I appreciate everything you do for me, but um- I have to- I’m dedicated to Audrey, so I have to be good for her.” After a beat, he added. “She trusts me.”

Uma just stared at him, the silence becoming so tense that Chad thought he might shake from it.

“Audrey?” Uma echoed. “You mean that princess that stood you up all those months ago?”

“Because I messed up,” Chad said. “I allowed myself to be tainted-”

“So you think,” Uma began, her tone a low growl. “That I would _taint_ you?”

“N- _No_ , Uma,” Chad said, his heart racing in his chest. “No, that wasn’t what I meant at all. I mean- she trusts me, like I trust you, and I need to- to do right by that trust-”

“That wasn’t what you were saying when I pulled those sponges out of your ass,” Uma snapped, sliding out of the bed so she could pace around the room. “That wasn’t what you said when I let you _fuck_ me.”

“Uma.” Oh, oh _wow_ , Chad hadn’t realized- “I’m so sorry.”

“You’re _sorry_ ,” Uma spat, arms folding across her chest. “What the hell am I to you, some kind of passing fancy? Something to hold your interest until your precious _Audrey_ feels like giving you the time of day?”

“Of course not.” Chad decided to get out of the bed too, the argument and growing panic having done away with his morning predicament so he could face Uma head on, at the same level. “You’re Captain Uma, we’re allies-”

“ _Allies?_ ” Uma snarled, her chest heaving. “No, we’re not allies. See, I get it now.” She leveled a finger at him, eyes narrowing in thought. “You’ve been trying to get a handle on me since the beginning – playing the earnest, pitiful prince card. You put _me_ in a position of power so I could feel in control, but _you’re_ the one that’s been calling the shots the entire time. I even gave you my damn _necklace!_ ” With that, she stormed across the room, charging into Chad’s space so she could reclaim her shell token in one vicious movement. “Bet you felt _real_ proud of that, didn’t you, _Chadwick?_ Fuck, I bet you even _knew_ those princesses wanted to feel you up, bet you _let_ them, just to get me under your thumb.”

“N-No.” Chad felt a terrible heat begin to build behind his eyes. “No, Uma. I didn’t- I didn’t know and I didn’t want-”

“I’m not falling for your tears this time!” Uma snarled, forcing herself across the room to get some distance from Chad. “What the fuck was I thinking? You’ve already managed to talk over most of the kingdoms to our side – that couldn’t have been done by someone who wasn’t clever. You _always_ knew what you were doing, and you worked with me so that when this was all over, _you_ could be the big hero of Auradon, since it seems like no one will give a _shit_ about you otherwise. Hell,” she turned away with a scoff. “Maybe you’ve been doing this so your precious Audrey will love you. She’s probably the only one that would.”

“ _Uma_ ,” Chad gasped, pressing a hand against his chest. It hurt, so much, and he didn’t know how to fix what he’d broken, wondered if Uma had these horrible suspicions about him _the entire time_. “No, that’s not true. I helped because it was right-”

“Save it!” Uma snapped, snatching up her purple bath robe and shoving herself into it. “You aren’t worth my time. Now, I’ll trust blondie and the king, but _you-_ ” She threw a glare over her shoulder. “You’re a piece of shit, and I’m never talking to you again if I can help it.”

“Uma, no- _please-_ ” Chad breathed, but she was already leaving, already walking out the door with her head held high, moving away just like everyone else.

It hurt. _Wow_ , did it hurt, to the point where Chad’s legs could no longer hold him up, the useless limbs collapsing underneath him while he cried pitiful tears, just as useless as Uma said he was. 

Chad really _was_ a piece of shit. Even Uma had seen that, in the end.

She was better off without him, he knew that, but-

It still hurt.

It always did.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Run that by me again?” King Eugene said, looking up from his desk and giving Chad his full attention the way few rarely did, but Chad had to remind himself it was because they were _allies_ , because Chad could do something that he _couldn’t_ and maybe Uma had been wrong about Chad ‘getting a handle’ on her, but maybe all the holidays and weekend visits and extra mail the Fitzherberts sent him because they couldn’t talk to him in public were their way of handling _Chad_. 

And Chad had allowed it, because he was greedy, because he hadn’t known better, but now he did and he had to have some self-respect or else Sardinia would forever look weak in the eyes of Corona. 

“I think it would be better if I kept my status updates to web calls,” Chad repeated. “These weekend trips-”

“Are good for you,” the king cut in. “And good for Uma – she really looks forward to them.”

Chad winced, because she definitely wouldn’t be looking forward to them anymore. “My grandfather’s beginning to notice,” Chad didn’t necessarily lie. Chad’s grandfather _did_ notice, but he was actually okay with Chad visiting Corona. Something about keeping him ‘out of the way’. 

Sometimes, Chad really wished he could do something right.

“I don’t have that many kingdoms left to visit,” Chad continued. “Three more and then at the grand council meeting you can launch the proposal. At the very least, you can get four more kids off while the kingdoms get the framework structure in place-”

“Of course,” the king said, because he already knew the plan as well as Chad did, because he’d helped _make_ it. “We wouldn’t want to draw anyone’s suspicion. But Chad, if you ever have any problems with your grandfather-”

“We’ll be okay,” Chad definitely _did_ lie. He never knew where he stood with the duke. “We might not agree on everything, but my grandfather loves me.” 

He was pretty sure. Grandparents were supposed to love their grandchildren, but Chad made himself _so very hard to love_. The duke had said that once. Chad was pretty sure that was why his father didn’t talk to him anymore. 

“…If you’re sure,” the king said, and it was likely Chad’s imagination, but he looked a little bit sad. “You have our number if you need anything.”

“I won’t,” Chad promised, knowing there was a line between friends and _allies_ and family and _associates_ , and of course he’d managed to forget that. Chad forgot _everything_. 

But the Isle issues, Chad could fix. Or help pave the way to them being fixed. And then at least he’d have _one_ thing he did right. That mattered. That mattered a lot.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_Present Day_

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Tell me,” Uma said later, when she was having another intense stare down with her laptop, Queen Rapunzel and King Eugene looking openly sympathetic on the other side of the screen. “How much did he hurt him?”

The king and queen shared a look that made Uma tense, made both of her boys slide closer to her, Gil adjusting his grip on Chad so that he was cradled closer to his chest.

“ _From what we’ve been able to dig up?_ ” the king said eventually. “ _A heck of a lot._ ”

“ _He won’t get away with it_ ,” Queen Rapunzel assured her, but Uma was already hunching over, a stream of curses spilling from her mouth as she slammed the laptop shut. 

Chad was surprised when she pressed her hands against her face, when a mournful sort of growl echoed from her throat as her shoulders shook with what he guessed was frustration – maybe at herself. They hadn’t parted on the best terms, but Chad never held that against her. Uma was made for great things, and Chad wasn’t one of them. 

“Fuck,” Uma hissed as Harry wrapped an arm around her. “Fuck, fuck, _fuck_ this.”

“We’ll get ‘em,” Harry promised, even though he couldn’t know who they were going after, and Gil just seemed pained. 

So Chad did something he could never do as his human self and climbed into Uma’s lap, curling close to her so she would know it was okay, that he wasn’t mad. It didn’t seem to make her less tense, but she _did_ draw him closer, a wet cheek rubbing against the top of his head.

“…when we find him,” Uma began, voice thick with emotion. “We’re gonna introduce you to him, Shadow. And he’s gonna love the shit out of you, because he loved the shit out of everything.”

“Loves,” Harry corrected. “He’s not gone yet, Captain.”

“He’d better not be,” Uma pledged.

It was nice to know that even though they weren’t friends, Uma was still willing to honor their associate status. It meant a lot to Chad, more than she could ever know.

-:-:-:-:-:-

According to Ben – according to Carlos and Jane and Evie and Doug, who were all in honors classes – the work Chad had been turning into all of his classes did not match the grades he had received for them. Meaning that every worksheet, every essay and quiz and test – _all_ of those had been purposefully underscored. And if _those_ had been underscored, it stood to reason that the work he’d been given from his private tutors had _also_ been underscored. 

It changed everything Chad seemed to know about his life. Every basic understanding he had of himself. And it- it made him want to cry, made him want to shake and yell, but-

_But_.

He realized it was all a test. It _had_ to be. 

Sure, his grandfather was hard on him, was insanely strict with everything he said and did, but it was that structure and oppressive force that made Chad work so hard in the first place. If Chad hadn’t thought he was so terribly _dumb_ , he wouldn’t have worked as hard to fix that problem, wouldn’t have _continued_ to work that hard, and maybe his grandfather was counting on that. Maybe the Duke wanted Chad to be the best king he could, so he made him work for it, had him suffer hardships much like his mother had and yeah, there was always the lingering threat of being replaced, but that was to push him too, wasn’t it? As was Chad’s distant cousin being shown off to the public – that was a threat. It had always been a threat, and a successful one because it pushed Chad. 

The others couldn’t see, didn’t have a frame of reference but- if Chad had _known_ he was smart, maybe he would have gotten lazy. That was why his grandfather had pushed him so hard. And he’d even tried to convince Audrey to date Chad again, because he cared about Chad’s future. 

And sure, the box thing- that wasn’t great. It _wasn’t_. But the Duke had been concerned, and that was the best way he could think to act upon that concern. He knew Chad would grow out of his fear in time. The Duke probably expected Chad’s father to be king for at least another decade, which would give Chad plenty of time to overcome his trepidation, and in the meantime he wouldn’t taint himself, or get led astray by raging hormones. 

If he _thought_ about it, his grandfather must be going out of his mind with worry right about now. All that time and work invested into Chad and what, Chad had thrown it away to be a cat? Because things had gotten a little bit _hard_? It was ridiculous. 

He had run away from his problems instead of owning up to them, instead of facing them head on like his grandfather had told him to do. He’d battled through so many tests to almost trip and fall at the finish line. 

It made Chad realize something. 

He had to go home. He had to get to Sardinia. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bum Bum BUMMMM.
> 
> The plot thickens! Thanks so much to everyone for all the wonderful feedback and kudos!! Your support is always greatly appreciated, and I’m glad you enjoyed Chad and Uma’s mer-adventures in Atlantica!!
> 
> Story notes:
> 
> Yes, Chad’s grandfather is the worst. There are no questions there. 
> 
> Also, to be clear, Triton’s granddaughters will be punished – just in a mer-way, off of Auradon’s records to respect Chad’s privacy. 
> 
> Until next time :)


	10. One Month Ago

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING – Threat of extreme force/dismemberment – It isn’t something that is dwelled on or graphic in any way, but in scene three, there is a threat of dismemberment that is never followed up on. It sounds way worse than it actually is. See endnotes for details. 
> 
> WARNING – Threat of death. In the final scene, a character is left in a position of peril in which they think they might die. Please see endnotes for more details.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_Present Day_

-:-:-:-:-:-

Like everything else in his life, Chad attacked the problem in pieces. He waited for Gil to drop off to sleep – the blond cradled between Harry and Uma, who had taken to letting him stay in their bed as the quest to find ‘Chad’ had proven more and more grim. Were Chad more capable, he would have gotten one of them to love him, broken the curse, and _then_ returned to Sardinia, but if he hadn’t managed that much by this point, it wasn’t going to happen at all.

He was pretty sure he could get his dad to love him, after his dad knew who he was. Granted, Chad would have to get him past the initial hurdle of believing his son was a cat, but after _that_ , things would be smooth sailing. Honestly, Chad should have thought of this first instead of getting greedy and wasting time trying to get Gil to love him, but there was no point in dwelling on past mistakes. 

Because Ben and the others were so set on Chad’s grandfather being evil, Chad turned to the two people he knew had dealt with the Enchantress before, who would likely hear him out.

It was early in the morning when he broke into Duke Adam and Duchess Belle’s room. As expected, they were asleep, so Chad leapt onto one of the nightstands and turned on the lamp with his mouth before letting out a furious _‘meow_ ’. 

It took a few moments to get their attention, but Chad never let up, not until Duchess Belle finally turned towards him, squinting her eyes against the light.

“What… is _that_?” the duke grumbled, dragging a hand across his eyes.

“It’s Shadow,” Duchess Belle said through a yawn, moving to sit up carefully. “He’s trying to get our attention – maybe Ben’s in trouble.”

“… there is no way he’s that smart,” the duke said, but Duchess Belle ignored him, following Chad as he climbed up onto the large desk in the corner.

He grabbed a sharpie with his mouth and placed it in front of the Duchess as she drew closer, batting at it carefully. 

She paused, then slowly undid the cap of the marker, handing it back to Chad. 

Yes, _finally_ , he could get some work done. 

It was awkward, trying to write something with his _mouth_ against a legal pad that was set up next to their computer, but Chad managed. 

“…‘keyboard’,” the Duchess read, managing to decipher Chad’s messy scrawl. “I think he wants me to turn on the computer for him.”

“What are you talking about?” Now Duke Adam was climbing out of bed, watching his wife turn on the computer with a confused expression.

“That’s what he wrote down,” the duchess explained as the computer booted up, and she pet her lap, motioning for Chad to sit there. 

“Wrote down?” The former-king rubbed at his eyes with an exhausted yawn. “Cats can’t…” He trailed off when he caught sight of the legal pad. “Oh, so he did.”

“Gilbert is always going on about how smart he is,” Duchess Belle explained as she pulled up a new word document for Chad’s use, tugging the keyboard closer. “Okay Shadow, what did you need to tell us?”

“This is preposterous,” the duke said, and then both of them fell into silence as Chad very carefully picked out the words with his paws, going letter-by-letter.

‘ _it’s chad_ ’ he wrote, moving to the next line while the two of them gasped.

“Chad?” the duchess breathed. “What happened to you?”

‘ _enchantress_ ’ he explained, and he didn’t imagine the tension that followed, Duke Adam seeming to close in on himself while the trauma from his own cursing likely threatened him once more.

“The enchantress did this to you?” Queen Belle asked, petting his ears carefully. “On your way here? Why… why didn’t you say something sooner? Did you not have the means to do so before now?”

If only it were that simple.

Chad considered lying – the only one who would understand the intricacies of his conditions was himself, but-

_But_ , he needed to face his mistakes, not run from them. If that involved getting punished for his indulgence, then so be it.

‘ _thought I could break it_ ’ Chad wrote. _‘couldn’t. liked being cat. didn’t know how much they’d miss me_ ’

“Oh… _sweetheart_ ,” the duchess breathed. “Of course we’d miss you.”

She was obligated to say that much, but Chad appreciated the thought, pausing to nuzzle against her hand. He wouldn’t be able to do it for much longer.

“Do you know how to break the curse?” Duke Adam finally spoke up. “Maybe we can help.”

‘ _dad_ ’ Chad typed. ‘ _need to go home. Dad can fix_ ’

“Okay,” the duchess said, nodding to herself. “Okay, we can do that. Let me just tell Ben-”

‘ _no_ ’ Chad wrote, hissing out a _meow_ to get her attention. ‘ _no ben. doesn’t know_ ’

There was a pause where the Duke and Duchess shared a look. “…Ben has really missed you, sweetie,” Duchess Belle said eventually. “It’d be a big relief to know you’re alright.”

‘ _no_ ’ Chad typed again. _‘home. dad_ ’

“But-”

“We should respect his wishes,” the duke said, his expression serious. 

Of anyone, the former king understood Chad’s situation with a level of intimacy few could hope to comprehend. He knew what it was like to get warped inside a body that was not his own, and while Chad had resigned himself to being a cat, Duke Adam had very much been a hostage to his situation. 

“Fine,” the duchess said eventually, shutting off the computer before Chad had a chance to clear the document. “But we’re taking your laptop. We need some way to communicate with him when we get on the road.”

“That’s an acceptable compromise,” Duke Adam allowed. “Get changed. I’ll wake Cogsworth and get a car pulled around.”

“I’m so glad you’re okay, sweetie,” the duchess said instead of responding, hugging Chad close to her before setting him on the bed and disappearing into her closet.

Okay, things were fine. Someone knew he was a cat and the world had kept turning.

“Chad.” The duke knelt down in front of the bed, bending so that he was at eye level with the prince. “We’re going to do everything in our power to help you, okay? You’re not alone in this.”

Because the duke had been alone before, and knew how isolating that felt, to be surrounded by a castle of lingering mistakes. 

While Chad could not express his full appreciation, he meowed to show that he’d at least heard, nodding to show that he understood.

The duke watched him for a moment, and then left to call Cogsworth, leaving Chad with his nerves and the growing hope that he was doing the right thing. For Sardinia. For his future.

For once, and for hopefully many times to come, he was making the right choice.

-:-:-:-:-:-

“We’re making a pitstop,” Duke Adam explained a few minutes into the drive. “But hopefully it is one that will cut our commute in half.”

“Fairy Godmother has been worried about you, dear,” Duchess Belle explained as she dragged a hand down Chad’s back, steadying a palm against his spine. “She’s done what she could to help with the investigation, but with the magic block…”

“At least we know why that is, now,” the duke cut in. “The enchantress’s spells are… very powerful.”

“Yes,” the duchess hummed, and that was all that was said before they pulled up in front of a cottage Chad had only ever seen in pictures. 

It looked beautiful, though. Scenic and homey – with ivy growing up the stone on one side. It was everything a lovely country retreat should look like in the middle of Auradon City, and it was a relief to see that the front lights were on, indicating that Duke Adam had likely called Fairy Godmother the same time he called Cogsworth.

They weren’t even entirely out of the car when Fairy Godmother fluttered out of her cottage, looking as though she’d dressed in a rush, her hair pulled back in a loose braid. 

“Inside, inside,” she ordered, waving them towards the cottage even while her gaze fixed to Chad cradled in the duchess’s arms. “It’s best to keep away from prying eyes.”

“I hope you’ll elaborate on that,” the duke said, settling down in Fairy Godmother’s living room at her instruction. “Is something going on?”

“Always,” Fairy Godmother muttered before closing all the curtains with a flick of her finger. “But I’m afraid Chad’s untimely disappearance has stirred the waters somewhat. Now.” A flick of her hand and her magic wand appeared, held at the ready. “This will only take a second. I’m going to scan him to confirm that one, it _is_ Chad – just to be safe,” she added when Duchess Belle looked like she was going to protest. “And two, to see if I can break this curse somehow.”

“It was done by the Enchantress,” the duke said, setting up his laptop – likely in anticipation of any questions Fairy Godmother might have for Chad. “So I doubt it. Not even the Enchanted Lake would work against her.”

“That’s because the Enchanted Lake _is_ hers,” Fairy Godmother hummed. “But that is bad news. The Enchantress’s magic is very old, and very strong. Short of recruiting a quorum of high-level magic users and inventing a new form of anti-hex, I don’t think there’s anything we could do to help.” There was a wave of her wand, and Chad felt her familiar magic drift over him, seeming to curl against his body before disappearing with a soft burst. “It is as I feared. He’ll have to break the curse himself, though the good news is that… _Shadow_ ,” she said, reading his collar. “- _is_ Chad.” She aimed a fond smile at him. “I’d know that aura anywhere, Chadwick. And I’m glad to see you’re okay, though I’ll admit I’m a little cross at you for taking so long to come forward.”

“He was trying to break the curse himself,” Duke Adam explained, pulling up a fresh document before pushing the laptop in front of Duchess Belle, who had Chad cradled in her lap. “And when that failed, he… resigned himself.”

“He didn’t think we’d search this hard for him,” the duchess murmured, sharing a weighted look with Fairy Godmother that kept her from addressing that statement.

Instead, she cleared her throat. “Chad, dear, what _exactly_ do you need to do to break the spell?”

Chad supposed that was a fair question, so with the same deliberation as before, he tapped the answer out onto the laptop.

“…‘accept love’,” Duchess Belle read, her tone shifting into something undistinguishable. “Is that why you want to see you dad, sweetheart?”

Chad nodded, giving a confirmation via _‘meow_ ’. It hadn’t failed so far.

“Oh, _honey_.” Chad found himself lifted up and curled against the duchess’s chest, that gentle hand stroking down his back, his head, as she gave her best approximation of a comforting hug. “Sweetheart, I don’t think your dad’s going to be able to help you with this one.”

Chad tensed, feeling at once detached and overwhelmed, because Duchess Belle was a wise woman and she thought-

Chad struggled until she eventually set him down, allowing him to type another phrase into the computer. ‘ _dasd loves mee_ ’.

“Yes, sweetheart,” the duchess agreed, making that tight ball of panic beginning to build in his chest simmer out before it even began. “He does. But this isn’t about your dad loving you, it’s about you _accepting_ that he loves you. And you can do that anywhere.”

It seemed like such an insubstantial difference. Chad could barely comprehend it. So even if his dad _didn’t_ love him, all that mattered was that Chad believed he did-

But he already believed that. His dad loved him. His dad _had_ to love him; he was Chad’s _dad_. Sure, Chad never really talked to him, and he always seemed out of it the few times Chad attempted to reach out to him. And sure, he never showed up to any of Chad’s Tourney games like the other parents did, or any of his Sword and Shield competitions, and sure, it was his grandfather that did almost everything with Chad, but that didn’t mean he didn’t… that didn’t mean he…

Chad was his son, but that didn’t mean he _liked_ him.

Maybe Chad had known that all along. Maybe Chad had known his family didn’t love him, maybe that was why he was still a cat. His dad didn’t love him and _Audrey_ didn’t love him and he knew that, deep in his bones. He _knew_ that. 

He wasn’t fit to be king. How could he expect his people to love him when his own father wouldn’t? 

The world around him went blurry, and he realized after a few moments that he was crying – stupid cat tears as his body trembled helplessly, small croons falling out of his mouth. He found himself gathered into Duchess Belle’s arms again, Ben’s mom whispering soft assurances that ultimately meant nothing. 

Great. He’d humiliated himself by exposing his deficiencies in front of the former king and queen of Auradon _and_ his mom’s Fairy Godmother, and he hadn’t even managed to break the spell. He was useless. _Useless_. 

“It will be okay,” the duchess lied, holding him close. “It will be okay, Chad. You’ll see. We’ll get through this.”

She was wrong, but Chad appreciated her optimism. At least he knew where Ben got it from.

-:-:-:-:-:-

When Chad finally ran out of tears to cry and could only slump against the duchess’s shoulder, Fairy Godmother cleared her throat, likely preparing to brighten the situation from the dark cloud Chad had cast over it with his deficiencies.

“Chad… sweetheart.” She settled onto the couch next to Duchess Belle, running a few slow fingers down the back of Chad’s head that he mostly ignored. Maybe he should savor it. Should get used to nuzzling again. He was probably going to be a cat forever. Maybe if he asked, Fairy Godmother would cast a spell to make them all forget who he was. “I know things are… _rough_ right now, but I’m going to ask you a few questions, okay? Normally the Enchantress gives a test of some kind before she leaves a curse. She likes to think of herself as fair.” She scratched carefully at his ears again. “Could you tell us what she talked to you about?”

Chad supposed it couldn’t hurt. He’d already entirely embarrassed himself in front of them, what was one more confessed failure?

Duchess Belle set him down carefully, dragging the laptop closer so Chad wouldn’t have to reach as far.

Chad focused, tried to remember the scattered moments of panic before he’d been changed, when he’d been doing everything he could to appease the Enchantress and show he was a well-rounded human being.

It came down to three points.

‘ _she said jay likes me. I said he did not. She ask why I don’t like ben, I said it was complex. She disagree. I said I dumb. She said no_ ’

That last part, at least, Chad knew was true now. Too bad he hadn’t known it at the time. Maybe he could have saved himself from a stupid curse.

“…you don’t like Ben?” was what his mother chose to focus on, _of course_ , and it filled Chad with such a definite swell of anxiety that he fumbled to push through it, paws shaking as he elaborated.

‘ _ssshouldn’t liike ben_ ’ he typed. ‘ _shouuldn’t like like ben_ ’. 

The box told him that much. Told him not to indulge and to grow up and to _be a man_ and none of those things could have Ben. Chad was _muddying the waters_ when King Ben should have someone useful, someone _good_ – only… Chad was actually smart? Maybe his grandfather had wanted Chad to push for someone better, but who was better than a king? He supposed Audrey could give him children one day, but tearing someone down to their ability to bear a child just seemed sort of crass. 

“Who told you that, sweetie?” Fairy Godmother asked, her voice sounding tense. “Who said that?”

‘ _dduke_ ’, Chad wrote. 

There was a moment where all of them seemed to be frozen with surprise, and then there was the splintering sound of the door being thrown open. 

With a wave of Fairy Godmother’s hand, her wand disappeared once more, just in time for Chad’s grandfather to casually stroll into to the living room, flanked by four royal Sardinian guards.

Duchess Belle closed the laptop in a graceful movement, rising to her feet with Chad cradled into her arms as though she’d been expecting the Duke’s arrival, when Chad very much _hadn’t_ been.

“So sorry to barge in,” Chad’s grandfather said, as stately as always. “But I heard you had news of my grandson’s whereabouts.”

“Funny,” Duke Adam said, rising to his feet in a smooth movement. “I don’t remember such news being shared.”

“Perhaps not intentionally,” the Duke allowed. “But with the Inspectors’ Office so wholeheartedly throwing itself into an investigation without sharing their discoveries, it’s only natural to resort to… less conventional methods of gathering information.”

“You tapped our _phones_?” Duke Adam pressed, his face set in a grim frown.

“I did what was necessary,” Chad’s grandfather dismissed. “And it was fortunate I did. How else would I have learned that my poor grandson had been _cursed_ at the hands of your Enchantress?”

“The Enchantress belongs to no one,” Fairy Godmother said, her voice sounding terribly tight. “Least of all Auradon. She has no allegiance and sees no borders.”

“A likely story,” the duke drawled. “When he was cursed on _your_ property.”

“An unfortunate coincidence,” Duchess Belle explained.

“Is it?” the Duke’s brows rose in a doubtful expression. “Was it also a coincidence that you neglected to inform me of my grandson’s wellbeing the moment you discovered it?”

“We were on our way to your castle,” Duchesse Belle replied calmly. “We merely stopped with Fairy Godmother-”

“So she could corrupt him too,” the duke said, narrowing his eyes at the fairy. Chad knew his grandfather didn’t like magic, but his vendetta against Fairy Godmother had always seemed so unnecessary, and she had never corrupted Chad’s mom. “Enough of this. Hand over my grandson or I will turn in a plea to the king.”

The king, their son, who would be placed in a terrible position of intense scrutiny if forced to place verdict against his own parents.

“Now, _wait_ just a minute,” Fairy Godmother spoke up, bristling despite the warning looks given to her by the duke and duchess. “You’re the one who broke down my door-”

“To rescue my grandson.” It was then that the duke’s gaze finally fell to meet Chad’s, looking at him with an intense hatred that he’d never seen before. As discomforting as that expression was, it got worse when the Duke switched into old Sardinian, a language only used by the highest-ranking Sardinian scholars. “ _Come with me now. Do not make me ask again_.”

“What are you saying?” Duchess Belle asked, clutching Chad closer to her, feeling his tension. “Fairy Godmother?”

“ _I will declaw you_ ,” the duke said. “ _Cut off your fingers and leave you with stubs if you do not cooperate_.”

Chad didn’t doubt him for a second, knew in that moment that the duke didn’t love him either, that the man was as evil as Ben thought he was and he’d- he was threatening to cut off Chad’s-

Chad was so overwhelmed with terror that he lost control of everything, of his senses, his throat, his _bladder_ , leaving him to wet himself in Duchess Belle’s arms, which was humiliating in itself, and then she was pulling him _closer_.

“Whatever it is you’re saying, you’re not taking him,” the duchess declared, cradling the wet mess that was Chad against her. “You’ve terrified him.”

“Enough of this,” the duke declared when he realized the extent of Chad’s uselessness, turning towards the guards. “Grab my grandson. We must take him home at once.”

“Chad,” the duchess whispered, dragging him close to eye level as she carefully backed away, towards her husband. “Sweetie, I know this is very hard. I know that you’re scared but _please_ , know that _we_ love you very much. That the weeks you’ve been missing-”

“Silence her!” the duke yelled, and that was the last thing the duchess said before she was hit with a stun blast, knocking her unconscious where she stood. One of the guards managed to catch her, lowering her to the ground while another grabbed Chad by his scruff, something none the others had ever done. He felt so awkward hanging there, scared as he looked on the unconscious bodies of Ben’s parents and Fairy Godmother. He’d gotten them in trouble. They were in trouble because he was useless and the duke _knew it_. Had known for years.

‘ _We love you_ ’ she’d said, said it and looked like she meant it. ‘ _We love you_ ’. It had been everything he’d been waiting for but Chad was still a dumb _cat_.

“Put him in the crate,” the duke ordered, readjusting his tie. “We have a long drive ahead of us.”

“You were right to stay near the castle, your lordship,” one of the guards murmured as they trudged out of the cottage, Chad shoved into a crate that seemed too small. The door was gated, though, he could still see and he could still _breathe_ and that mattered because he was fine. 

At least, for the moment.

“Of course it was the right thing to do,” the duke scoffed. “Now be quiet and get us to Sardinia. We need to put this mess behind us.”

‘ _We love you_ ’ she said, but it wasn’t enough. 

‘ _We love you_ ’, _‘We love you_ ’ - but who would love this?

No one.

_No one_.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_One Month Ago_

-:-:-:-:-:-

Audrey didn’t take Ben’s engagement well. 

She was never going to, because no matter how hard he tried, Chad wasn’t Ben. Chad couldn’t be as amazing and steadfast and kind as Ben was, he couldn’t be effortlessly charming or reassuring or sure. He was just Chad, who worked really hard and mostly came up short, and aside from those meager qualities, the only thing he could offer Audrey was his eternal devotion. 

“That should be you,” Queen Leah whispered as Chad was trying to get Audrey back on her feet – Audrey who was so pretty with her blonde hair and perfectly tailored clothes, who just had to watch the love of her life propose to someone else.

“She did her best,” Chad said, needing to offer Audrey some kind of protection, and wasn’t surprised when this earned him a hard look.

“Her best wasn’t good enough,” the Queen said, leaving them standing there amongst the crowd, their classmates cheering Ben’s engagement to someone other than Audrey, who was standing _right_ there.

“This is _bullshit_ ,” Audrey hissed, her hands curling into fists against her side. “I did everything right. She cheated.”

“I’m sorry, Audrey.” Just like every other time Chad said it, the words were empty, and Audrey knew it.

“Whatever,” she huffed with a toss of her hair. “I’m leaving. Don’t follow me.”

“Yes, Audrey.” Chad stayed, even though it hurt to see her leave without him, because he wanted to show her how good he was at following orders. He turned back to where everyone was giving Ben and Mal their well wishes, Chad reflexively swallowing down the urge to vomit at Ben’s peaceful expression because he was such a dumb failure. 

Chad knew, as a prince, he had to congratulate them or it would look bad on Sardinia and his grandfather would get angry again. He knew he had to do it even though the sight of Ben made it feel like the walls were closing in on Chad, like he had no air left to breathe. He waited and waited until _finally_ Ben got pulled away from Mal. That was when Chad ducked in, knowing that if he could say his piece to the Lady of the Court, it would technically count. No one would call Chad on snubbing Ben if he was obviously busy. 

“Hey, Mal,” Chad said, forcing an air of casual interaction that they’d lost over a year ago. “Congratulations on your engagement.”

There. See? That was easy. 

Mal blinked at him with wide eyes, as though she hadn’t been expecting the attention. “Thanks, Chad.”

“Um- wish you all the best,” Chad offered, which seemed like a solid enough goodbye as he took a step back, and he’d maybe made it one pace before Mal was grabbing his wrist.

“ _Wait_.” Her fingers held him tight, which was bad, because Ben could be back any moment now. “We’re throwing a birthday party for Jane at the Enchanted Lake on Friday. You should come.”

“Um.” Though Chad wasn’t looking at him, he caught the moment where Ben must have seen Chad because his head was turned in their direction, and he was beginning to move back.

“One o’clock,” Mal said. “It’s um- summer casual chic?”

Chad was pretty sure Jane didn’t want him there – if she had, she would have invited him herself, but he also really didn’t want to/couldn’t talk to Ben so he just nodded his head and hoped his smile looked relaxed and not at all panicked.

“Cool, I will totally be there,” he promised, and knew he’d have to see it through because there were too many people present who would notice if he snubbed an invite from the future _queen_. “See you, Mal.”

“Chad-”

“Mal!” Ruby cut in brightly, deftly transferring Mal’s hand from Chad’s wrist into her own. “Congrats on your engagement! That’s so cool, are you going to have a purple wedding dress?”

Chad made a tactful retreat while Ruby was busy pumping Mal’s hand, and even though Chad knew he shouldn’t interact with the princess anymore, he couldn’t help but find himself entirely grateful for her intervention. That could have gone a lot worse.

It could have also gone better, but it could have been worse.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Jane’s birthday party was, predictably, full of Jane’s friends, meaning there were classmates present that Chad rarely if ever spoke to, and then Jane herself waiting down by the Enchanted Lake for Carlos and the others to appear. Chad killed the minimally polite amount of time he could with her before ducking into the woods to gather himself. Once the others arrived – the VKs and the new VKs, Chad would probably have to talk to them at least _once_ even though he really didn’t want to. The only good news was that as king, Ben would likely be too busy to come to the party, and if he did he would most definitely be late, so Chad just needed to make an early exit before then. He could always use cheering Audrey up as an excuse. She was feeling really down lately, and while that caused her to be snappier than usual, Chad knew it was well warranted. 

While Audrey was kind and popular enough to get invited to this party several times over, she’d decided to hang out in her castle instead so she wouldn’t have to see Mal, which was why Chad was surprised to see her stroll into the party as though she owned the joint, her hair dyed a pinkish purple and… yeah, that was definitely Maleficent’s scepter in her hand. 

Okay. Wow. That was- was that a prop recreation?

Chad was pretty sure no such thing existed, which meant that was the real deal.

That was what had him backing further into the woods, his hand fumbling for the phone he still hadn’t returned, despite the fact that he shouldn’t contact Corona anymore. 

The line picked up after two rings. “ _Chad?_ ” Queen Rapunzel’s voice carried through the phone. “ _Is everything okay?_ ”

“A-Audrey has Maleficent’s scepter,” Chad gasped, the words feeling tight in his chest. “I- I don’t know how she got it. And I know- I know I shouldn’t call you but I didn’t know what else to do-”

“ _Chad_ ,” the queen interrupted, keeping her voice firm. “ _Sweetheart, breathe. You need to breathe, okay?_ ”

“Okay,” Chad whispered, then did just that, matched her commands to inhale and exhale in turn, nice and slow until he didn’t feel like he was going to pass out.

“ _That’s better_ ,” the queen said when he finally managed what most people did on instinct. “ _Now, are you and Audrey still close?_ ”

“Sort of?” Chad hoped so. “She lets me hang out with her, and I hold her hand sometimes.”

“ _That’s good_ ,” the queen said, even though that was both a stupid and unnecessary comment. “ _Okay honey, I’m going to ask you to do something really difficult right now, but I know you can do it._ ”

“Okay,” Chad said, a slight feeling of dread creeping into his stomach.

“ _I need you to find a way to stay close to Audrey_ ,” the queen said. “ _We need someone who can keep an eye on her movements, someone who could potentially talk her down from something she can’t take back. Right now, that person is **you** , Chad. Do you think you can do it?_”

No. No. A million times no. 

_But_.

Chad wanted to create a better Auradon. He also wanted to help Audrey, so maybe he should stop being useless for two seconds and actually _do_ something.

“I… I can do it,” Chad said, hoping if he said it confidently enough, his brain would buy it. “I’ll um- call you as soon as I can.”

“ _Be careful_ ,” the queen warned, and that was all the pep talk Chad got before he was throwing himself into being Audrey’s henchman, which he really didn’t want to do but at least Audrey wouldn’t be _alone_ , now. That might count for something, maybe. 

It had to.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chad did his best to call in all of Audrey’s movements. He texted and took pictures and tried to keep her in a happy frame of mind, even though he felt like he was going to shake apart the entire time. 

He wouldn’t learn until after the fact, but thanks to his updates Queen Rapunzel was able to organize the few proficient magic users outside of Central Auradon – like Genie and Merlin – to protect the outer kingdoms, keeping the damage of the sleeping curse and the statue affliction minimized to Central Auradon.

It was all going as well as it could be until Audrey locked him inside the closet.

It was too small. Bright, due to the window but not bright enough. He couldn’t open the door and he couldn’t undo the window and he couldn’t do anything but feel the walls get smaller and smaller. His legs crumpled beneath him, leaving him to shudder helplessly against the wall as his mind traveled back to a worse place, to the cramped, dark box that stole his air and kept him hungry and sore and dirty – he was gonna get dirty and stay dirty because he was a dumb, useless _prince_.

He wasn’t sure how many times his phone had buzzed before he managed to answer it, fumbling with numb fingers because at least that was a distraction, until he could shove the thing against his ear.

“H-H-Hel-lo?” he whispered, words barely audible.

“ _Chad?_ ” It was the queen again, her words a strong contrast to the chaos that seemed to consume him. “ _What’s happening? Talk to me, baby_.”

“C-C-Closet,” he hushed, dragging in a breath of air that physically pained him. “T-Trapped.”

“ _Did Audrey do that to you?_ ” the queen asked, and Chad could only sob his response, tears pouring down his cheeks and chest heaving because he felt so very small. “ _Chad. **Chad?** It’s going to be okay, alright? We’re tracking your phone now and we’re going to come find you._” They could- they could do that because even if the phones were untraceable to anyone else, they still had a special hookup for Corona Castle. “ _Just listen to me_ ,” the queen continued. “ _Listen to my voice, and keep breathing, alright? That’s your only job right now. You’ve done so well, Chad, you just need to hold on for a bit longer_.”

It felt like a lie, but Queen Rapunzel had always tried to do right by him, so Chad surrendered, listening to her and trying to breathe so slow his lungs ached from the effort. It got better when she started singing, her voice a gentle lilt in his ears, and it was so nice that it hurt in its own way, because he’d often wondered how his mother’s voice would have sounded. They said she’d been a lovely singer. He wondered if she would have liked Queen Rapunzel and her long hair and goofy husband, he wondered if she would have liked _Chad_. 

She sang until the world felt a little bit bigger, until Chad thought he might be strong enough to stand. At some points she traded out with King Eugene, and his voice was just as grounding, bold but certain, and Chad wished he was like that, wished he could hum along without fear of losing himself. He was okay. It might – this would be okay, he hoped.

At least, that was what he thought before the singing stopped abruptly, and when he fumbled for his phone, he realized that the battery was dead.

Dead, as in- he was alone. He was _alone_ and they couldn’t track him. He was stuck here, _Audrey_ had trapped him and at least Chad had gotten some songs but if he’d been better, he wouldn’t have _needed_ them-

He was mostly out of his mind with panic by the time the door opened, and when he looked up at his savior, hoping for the queen and seeing _Ben_ -

He bolted, as fast as his legs could carry him, sprinting through the woods with tears running down his face while laughter echoed out behind him.

What a useless prince he was.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chad was no stranger to walking. 

Eventually, when he could run no further, when he knew help wasn’t an option, he forced himself to walk, maintaining a slow trudge through the woods as night fell. He’d gotten back to the Auradon Prep campus (and the room he hadn’t yet moved out of because he had _one_ last session of summer school) a few hours after darkness came, just in time to watch Dragon-Mal battle it out with Audrey on the roof of the school.

And, of course, there was Uma, huddling against her brave and daring first mate, if the hook was anything to go by. Uma, in all her ferociousness, using her shell like a heartsong, saving the day like the true captain she was.

Chad watched for a few minutes before trudging back to his room, knowing they had things well in hand. He plugged his phone in, sent a text to the queen letting her know he was alright and apologizing again for bothering her before tossing the phone in the trash (too much of a temptation) and flopping onto his bed – passing out into mind-numbing exhaustion.

If he was a better prince, he would have stayed to check on Audrey, but she would probably do better with Mal and Uma anyway.

For the moment, it was better for Chad to do what he did best, and stay out of the way. 

-:-:-:-:-:-

_Present Day_

-:-:-:-:-:-

The ride back to Sardinia Castle felt longer than Chad remembered. It felt like it could stretch on for centuries, and he spent the entire time curled near the front of his cage, swallowing down low mewls whenever he caught one of the guards looking his way. This was his life, now. His father didn’t care about him, his grandfather hated him, he had no friends and only a handful of associates dedicated to tracking down his location in order to save the Isle agenda that he had inadvertently threatened, and even if they _did_ find him, they wouldn’t be able to do anything for him, because Chad was still a dumb little cat and would likely stay that way for the rest of his life. 

Which would be like, ten years. Maybe twelve. Unless he was a magic cat doomed to live forever. 

He didn’t know what his grandfather had in store for him by the time they got back to the castle, but he could feel his pulse begin to race as they descended into horribly familiar depths of the castle, past the dungeon and into the secret basement, towards that horrible space where no one would ever find him, down, down, down and dark, dark, _dark_. 

Chad was too out of his mind with fear to fight the guard when they opened the gate to the carrier, the soldier grabbing him by his scruff and holding him over the box his grandfather had shoved him in before, the one he had _always_ locked Chad in when he had been a particular failure. 

“Chadwick.” His grandfather’s voice cut through the rising haze of his hysteria. “This will be the last time I have to look upon you.” He didn’t mean, he couldn’t mean, but he meant- “And for that, I am forever grateful. That I will never have to deal with the burden of your presence ever again.” He motioned to the guard while Chad starting moaning, helpless croons that spilled from his mouth unbidden. “Lock him in.”

The guard hesitated. “But… if this _is_ the crown prince-”

“It’s not, you fool.” The duke rolled his eyes. “It’s a _cat_. One that Fairy Godmother will no doubt retrieve shortly. Now, lock him in.”

There was another beat, and then Chad was getting lowered _into the box_ , which seemed so much bigger but no less dark, no less all-consuming and he wanted to jump out but the lid slammed into place and it was dark-dark- _dark_ and he was small-small-small and he didn’t know how much air he had, only knew that he’d be in here forever, only knew that this was the place where he _died_. 

Small and stupid and unimportant – that was his life. He wondered if Mal and the VKs would ever find his body, and then terror overtook him.

And he didn’t think much else after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Endnotes:
> 
> We’re cooking with gas now! Thank you guys for all the wonderful feedback and support!! It is always greatly appreciated, and I’m glad we can all appreciate Carlos’s casual disregard for things like ‘laws’ and ‘privacy boundaries’ ;D
> 
> Story notes:
> 
> For the record, the ‘obligation’ Chad forced on someone that was mentioned in the first chapter – that was this, him calling Queen Rapunzel and her talking him through his panic attack.
> 
> WARNING – Threat of Extreme Force – In the third scene, Chad’s grandfather threatens to declaw him. While it is not followed up on, Chad is still appropriately terrified by the threat. If you would like to skip this and Chad’s reaction, look for:
> 
> “What are you saying?” Duchess Belle asked, clutching Chad closer to her, feeling his tension. “Fairy Godmother?” 
> 
> You can jump back in at:
> 
> “Whatever it is you’re saying, you’re not taking him,” the duchess declared, cradling the wet mess that was Chad against her. “You’ve terrified him.”
> 
> WARNING – Threat of Death – in the final scene, Chad is trapped in his box for what he believes will be forever. If you would like to avoid his terror response, look for:
> 
> Chad was too out of his mind with fear to fight the guard when they opened the gate to the carrier, the soldier grabbing him by his scruff and holding him over the box his grandfather had shoved him in before, the one he had always locked Chad in when he had been a particular failure. 
> 
> You can skip the rest of the chapter. The short of it is that Chad gets locked back into the box. 
> 
> Until next time


	11. One Month Ago – Part 2

-:-:-:-:-:-

_1 Month Ago_

-:-:-:-:-:-

“What?” Chad asked, not meaning to misunderstand or be a nuisance, but needing clarification because he was still reeling from the relatively close proximity he’d had with Ben, and even more than a year later his mind was telling him that it was _wrong-wrong- **wrong**_.

Audrey stopped to look at him, _really_ look at him, even though the people of the Isle and the people of Auradon were all celebrating around them – and Chad was grateful they’d managed to get their legislature plan approved by the council before Mal had dropped the barrier or else they’d have some legitimate criminals running around without supervision. 

“ _Enough_ , Chad!” Audrey shouted, as though they’d been having an argument for a long time rather than Audrey making some comment under her breath that Chad hadn’t quite been able to catch, mostly because he’d been trying so hard not to stare at Ben that he was totally staring at Ben. “That’s it! _We-_ ” She gestured between them, gaining attention from some of their classmates because Audrey had mostly stuck to the royal side of the celebrations and Chad had stuck with her out of loyalty. “-are _through_. I’m not dating you anymore, it’s too much!”

It probably wasn’t great that Chad’s immediate response was to ask when they had started dating, because he hadn’t known – he would have done better if he’d _known_ -

“We’re a terrible fit, Chad,” she continued, running a hand through her blonde hair. “And frankly, I deserve better than you.”

That was all she said before she deftly turned away, disappearing into the hoard of people and leaving Chad standing lost in the middle of a crowd that was staring at him like he was broken, like he was a monster, like he was weak and dumb and _stupid_. 

Before he knew what was happening, Chad took off in the other direction, keeping his pace to a respectable speed walk as he tried to escape the crowds. He’d put in a good showing for Sardinia, he’d danced (close to _Ben_ ), he’d laughed and congratulated and celebrated with everyone else. He’d done his job; his grandfather couldn’t get mad at him for that. He just needed some air.

He’d never thought he was good enough for Audrey, and he wasn’t mad at her for realizing that much, it was just hard, when the girl he had been working for _years_ to win over finally realized how unworthy he was. 

But that was life. 

He shouldn’t be moping, he should be happy about the Isle reforms and the legislative victory and happy he’d been able to contribute, however minimally. He should be _happy_. 

But of course he wasn’t.

Greedy fool. Greedy, _greedy_ fool.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_Present Day_

-:-:-:-:-:-

Through the haze of terror, Chad’s mind struggled to hold onto that light melody Queen Rapunzel had hummed for him, the one that hadn’t stopped when he’d been locked inside the bright but enclosed closet. Had he the capacity to hum it to himself, he would have, but he couldn’t stop crooning, mouth parted in desperate mewls that caused saliva to spill and wet his fur. He curled into as small a ball as he could manage, squeezing his eyes shut as though he could pretend he _wasn’t_ in the box, but Fairy Godmother wasn’t coming from him and he couldn’t fix himself even though the duchess had said she’d loved him – but that wasn’t true, that wasn’t true, who would love this pathetic wretch when Audrey wouldn’t and Uma wouldn’t and Jay and Ben and Mal only pitied him and Gil hadn’t even loved him as a _cat_ -

Or he had and Chad just couldn’t accept that, but he couldn’t accept it because it wasn’t true, right? That was the problem. That no matter how dumb Chad was – or wasn’t, he guessed, he couldn’t make himself believe that he was capable of being loved. Maybe it was because of that secret intellect, maybe that allowed him to read between the lines to see what he really was. Maybe that was why he’d allowed himself to get pushed around by his grandfather for so long. Because if he was really dumb, like Gil, it would be easy to believe he was loved. 

But he wasn’t. What he’d thought were tests was just abuse, what he’d thought were opportunities to prove himself were hopes that he would provide a great enough excuse to be replaced. And now his grandfather didn’t even have to feign the effort, he could just let Chad suffocate in this box until he _died_ , small and pathetic, the same way he’d lived.

Chad was so lost to his fear that he didn’t register the presence of anyone outside his box until the lid swung open, and even then he was sure that he was hallucinating, though he wasn’t sure why his mind had conjured the image of his father instead of someone more inspiring, like maybe Queen Rapunzel.

“This is him, your majesty,” the guard said, drifting into view next to Chad’s father with an expression of uncertainty. “The Duke and Duchess of Auradon seemed really adamant that this was your son.”

“And Fairy Godmother?” Chad’s father asked, his obvious concern managing to cut the edge off Chad’s distress until it was slightly easier to breathe.

“Her too,” the guard confirmed. “Your um… father said it _wasn’t_ the prince, though, but he ordered us to lock him in, and didn’t give orders for um… when to remove him.”

“Chad?” his father spoke up, seeming so very hopeful. It was strange, to see such a look aimed his way when his father had ignored him for years, but the king seemed genuinely distressed, his eyes shining in the low light of the basement. “Chad, my dear boy, is that you?”

Still tucked into his corner, Chad crooned, a sound warbled with threads of fear. He needed to nod, needed to do something _useful_ , but he couldn’t do much besides shake, dumb cat tears spilling from his eyes, leaking into his fur.

“He doesn’t like small spaces, your majesty,” the guard explained. “My friend on the nightshift said his highness accidentally got locked in one of the storage closets on the third floor – poor lad was out of his mind with fear by the time the maids found him. That’s… that’s why I thought I should find you. That, and his eyes.”

“Right…” the king trailed off, staring at Chad’s face. Chad hadn’t looked at his cat body in the mirror too often, it was too weird, but he knew what the guard meant. Despite the transformation, his eyes were still as startlingly blue as before. “Kit, my darling, let’s get you out of there.”

It seemed too good to be true. _Felt_ too good to be true when his dad picked him up out of the box, cradling him against his broad, uniformed chest in a show of comfort he hadn’t offered in years. 

“I’m so sorry,” his dad was whispering. “I’m so sorry, Kit. I didn’t know. _I didn’t know_. All these years and I lost track of- _I’m sorry_.”

“Your majesty?” the guard whispered, pulling them away from that awful box. “We should probably get going. We need to contact the Captain – remove you two from the castle as soon as possible.”

“No.” The king shook his head, pulling Chad closer. Chad, who was free, who wasn’t going to die in the box. “My father-”

“Runs the castle,” the guard said, tugging the king back up the stairs. “And most of the kingdom, too. No one would dare go against him, but this is… this is worth risking my job for, but we need to _go_.”

“How much have I missed?” the king asked as they moved upwards and _away_ , and it was so good that Chad could hardly believe it. Maybe he had passed out. Maybe this was a fever dream invented by his mind due to a lack of oxygen. “In my grief-”

“A lot,” the guard said. “A _lot_. I’ll be honest, when his highness went missing most of us thought it was the duke’s work, but then he was searching just as frantically as everyone else-”

“ _Chad_ ,” his father groaned, pulling Chad higher, until he was up under his chin. “Chad, my boy, I’m sorry it took so long to find you. I’m sorry it happened like this.”

“To be fair,” the guard said as they made their way up through the dungeon. “Most of us wouldn’t have expected him to be a cat.”

“Stifled thinking on our part,” Chad’s father sniffed, sounding more pointedly coherent than the prince had ever heard him in recent memory.

“Okay,” the guard said as they drew close to the door that would take them back to proper hallways. “This is where things are going to get tricky. We’ll have to use the secret passageways to get to the captain’s office, and after that we’ll have to use them to get back down to the garage-”

“This is preposterous,” Chad’s father said, straightening his shoulders. “I’m the _king_. I will not cower in my own castle.”

“It’s not cowering so much as being strategic, your-” the guard cut off when Chad’s father swept into the hallway like he owned the joint, the guard skittering at his heels as he rushed to keep up. “Your _majesty_. You don’t understand-”

“I understand that the best way to get anywhere is to act like you belong,” the king sniffed, and _that_ was how they came to confidently stroll through the hallways, the king’s head proudly held high, shoulders squared as his mess of a cat-son was cradled in his arms, only _just_ coming down from his panic attack, blinking against the harsh, bright lights after having been trapped in the dark for so long.

They made it about two-thirds of the way to Captain Anozie’s office before they were greeted with inevitable company – the duke flanked by four guards, with another two blocking off the hallway behind them. 

“Guards,” the duke drawled, expression bored. “Please detain Sargent Peters for dereliction of duty.”

“Do no such thing,” Chad’s father ordered, expression hard. “How could you do this, father?”

“Do what, my boy?” the duke sighed. “Lock up a cat? Quite easily, it’s a _cat_.”

“You know full well he isn’t,” the king hissed dragged Chad closer to him.

“And are these the lies Sargent Peters has been feeding you?” the duke asked, turning his glare on the guard that had been helping them. “How dare you take advantage of my son’s weak mental state-”

“Sargent Peters has proven to be the only loyal guard among you,” Chad’s father snapped, stepping in front of the guard. “You tried to keep my _son_ from me-”

“You think your son is a cat?” the duke’s tone twisted to one of pity. “Christopher, you aren’t well…”

“You _know_ it’s him!” the king pressed. “Chad.” He turned his attention down to Chad, who’d managed to calm down, at least until he’d caught sight of his grandfather. “It’s you, isn’t it? Nod for me, will you?”

Chad could manage that, even though it was shaky, the other guards beginning to shift their weight uneasily as they shared looks with each other.

“ _Preposterous!_ ” the duke snapped, stamping his foot. “So it’s been taught some parlor tricks. Don’t be fooled, Christopher-”

Further berating was interrupted by a loud _rumble_ that seemed to shake the castle foundation, something that seemed to take all of them by surprise as they looked around to determine the source.

Their questions were answered a few seconds later, when a new guard skittered around the corner. “Attack from Corona!” he shouted. “We’re being invaded by Corona soldiers!”

“Get the king to the panic room!” the duke yelled, motioning his guards forward. “And get me that _damn_ cat!”

“No!” Chad’s father shouted before taking off, grabbing Sargent Peters as they darted back the way they’d come, shouldering past the two guards that were trying not to injure the king.

Chad could hear his grandfather cursing behind them. “Don’t let them get away! He could hurt himself!”

“Should have taken that early retirement,” Sargent Peters huffed as he dragged his father down a sharp turn, both of them almost losing their footing when the ground was claimed with another rumble. “ _Cripes_ , I thought Corona liked us. They spent the whole summer hosting the prince- oh.” He blinked as though something had just occurred to him. “Never mind, I think we actually might be safer with them.”

“Chad spent the- _you_ spent the summer in Corona?” the king asked, staring down at Chad, who nodded as best he could while clinging to his father. “How did I miss that?”

“With all due respect sir, now’s not the time-” the Sargent cut himself off when he threw himself to the side, barreling into the king until he was knocked clean off his feet. 

So many things happened at once, and Chad barely registered the arrow _whooshing_ overhead before he and his father hit the ground, the king managing to lose his grip and Chad tumbling a few feet away, landing with a total lack of grace.

“What are you doing?” he heard shouted from the far end of the hall. “That’s the _king_!”

“Got orders to shoot the cat on sight!” a different guard shouted. “I wouldn’t have hit his majesty!”

“ _Fuck_ ,” Peters hissed under his breath, pushing to his elbows. “Your highness, crawl back to-”

“I’ll get him this time!” the distant guard said, and that was all Chad registered before his father filled his line of vision, curling over him in a protective huddle while his eyes looked so worried-

And then they went wide, Chad’s ears seeming to fill with white noise when his father jerked to the side, moving in a startled jolt before he slowly fell to the ground. It wasn’t until he’d turned that Chad saw the arrow sticking out of him, saw blood begin to seep into his crisp, white uniform-

No. No, no, no, _no, no_. He couldn’t- he’d gotten shot, he’d been shot, he was shot because Chad was a cat. Chad couldn’t just be a person and prove he wasn’t crazy and that Peters was telling the truth – no, he had to go and be useless because his stupid brain refused to accept the fact that _someone_ could love him. 

“What are you idiots doing?!” Peters hollered. “Corona’s invading! Holster that damn crossbow and get a medic!”

“Chad…” his father whispered, voice seeming to carry above the fray even though Chad was shaking and the world was chaos. “Chad, sweetheart, I’m so sorry…”

Why though? Why _now_? He hadn’t been sorry before when he’d never spoken to Chad – was he supposed to forgive him? Chad wanted to. Chad _needed_ to, because he seemed so genuine and adamant – seemed like a _dad_ again, like the man who would let Chad stay in council meetings on a technicality so he could draw pictures at his feet because he was afraid of some rain, even though his grandfather had said to let Chad ‘toughen up’, that he wasn’t going to get strong hiding from his problems. 

For years, Chad had been fighting to get that man back, and it seemed like he finally had him, and now he was _dying_.

“I did… so many things wrong,” the king murmured, reaching forward with a shaky hand while he cupped the side of Chad’s face, stroking his cheek carefully. “I lost so much time _not_ being your dad.”

“Quiet, your majesty,” Peters muttered, pressing down around the arrow to try and keep pressure on the wound. “Save your strength-”

“I got so lost, in my head,” his dad continued, seeming not to hear Peters. “I thought I couldn’t do it… not without her. I thought… almost anyone else would… would be better.” He let out a shaky breath, his eyes scrunching in pain. “I was wrong, and I’m sorry, for that. Sorry I missed out on who you’ve become and- _whatever_ left you like this, just… no matter who you are - cat or human, you’re my son. And… I love you.”

Chad sobbed, feeling shaken apart by the words he hadn’t heard in so long. His father loved him. He _loved_ him. He’d taken an arrow for Chad – as a _cat_ , and he didn’t seem to regret it, hadn’t even hesitated, because- because even though he’d been in mourning all this time, he still loved Chad. 

And Chad was… he was _worthy_ of that love.

His father’s face seemed to light in a sudden glow, and it took Chad a moment to realize that the glow was coming from _himself_ , that his entire body was filling with light and he was growing – turning _back_. 

There were no words to describe the sudden transformation. He was colder, though thankfully _clothed_ , clad in loose cotton pants and a long sleeve shirt that were both black. His collar had grown with him, and Chad wouldn’t believe he was _himself_ again were Sargent Peters not staring at him with such wide eyes, the commotion down the hall seeming to still as his father let out an openly relieved laugh.

“ _Chad_ ,” he chuckled, eyes wide with hope. “You’re home.”

“Holy shit,” one of the guards down the hall gasped. “Did anyone else know the prince was a cat?!”

“We had some theories, near the end,” a familiar voice said, and that was all the warning Chad got before _King Eugene_ and _Queen Rapunzel_ jogged down the hallway, the queen deftly knocking out both of the guards with what seemed to be a frying pan. 

So the stories had not been joking about that.

“Hey, Chris,” King Eugene greeted, offering the king of Sardinia a smile as he wrapped an arm around Chad’s shoulder. “Can’t help but notice you’ve got some bad eggs in your pantry. Thought we’d come and help sort them out, if you don’t mind.”

“More the merrier,” Chad’s father managed with a grin, breath hitching when Queen Rapunzel traded placed with the Sargent, pressing both her hands against his back.

“Hold still,” she ordered, wrapping a hand around the arrow shaft. “I’m going to pull this out.”

“And then heal you,” King Eugene added. “Before you bleed out all over your very nice floor.”

“K-Kind of you to notice,” Chad’s father grinned, and Chad was beginning to realize why he had been called prince charming, because he was actually pretty charismatic when he wasn’t in a depressed stupor.

“Boys,” Queen Rapunzel tutted, and that was all the warning they got before she ripped the arrow out, immediately replacing it with a thick strand of her hair while she hummed a familiar song.

It was about that time Captain Anozie jogged around the corner, Jay on his heels, both bearing swords at the ready.

“Your majesty,” the captain said, his face falling with relief. “Reinforcements from Auradon have arrived.”

“Chad!” was Jay’s more enthusiastic response, and apparently the VK was so relieved that he all but shoved King Eugene out of the way so he could wrap his arms around Chad, pulling him close. “ _Fuck_. We found your message on Duke Adam’s computer.”

Which computer was the question, and also Chad couldn’t remember what he typed and he was pretty sure his magic transformation hadn’t given him _underwear_ so he was pressed along the lines of Jay’s very muscular body with just a thin layer of cotton between them and Chad was still getting flooded with a heap of sensations he hadn’t received as a cat.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Jay repeated, seeming not to notice his dilemma. “You were the cat. Of course you were the cat. We’re all _stupid_.”

Like… not really, so Chad did his best to comfort the VK by patting him on the back, because his father wasn’t going to die and his grandfather wasn’t going to kill him and all the guys that were actively committing treason against Sardinia were getting weeded out so that was fun.

“We can have big fun story time later,” King Eugene chirped, moving to help Chad’s father stand with the support of his wife. “For now, let’s get you guys to safety while we finish weeding out all the sneaky traitors.”

“Start with my father,” Chad’s dad hissed. “He tried to kill my _son_.”

“Don’t worry,” Queen Rapunzel hummed. “He’s first on the list.”

Which – well, at least they had a list.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chad had to re-learn walking again on the fly – except it was mostly running, Jay herding him through the hallways while King Eugene dragged Chad’s father out of the castle and out towards the Auradon Guard Patrols that were already taking away Sardinia traitors and loading them into prisoner transport. They ranged from guards to councilmembers to castle staff, and Chad was bewildered to see some of his private tutors as well, all of them scowling and protesting their rough treatment, claiming their utmost loyalty to the crown. 

They ended up in a van that took them to the Sardinian Harbor, where a slew of Corona and Auradon ships were bobbing in the ocean. Chad supposed that was how they had managed to sneak in, likely using the cover of Uma’s ocean-based magic. 

King Eugene didn’t let them stop until they were safely in one of the larger boats, and low and behold there were Ben’s parents and Fairy Godmother, exhausted but seemingly no worse for the wear.

“Chad!” Duchess Belle gushed the moment she saw him, a brilliant smile stretching across her face as she cut across to him, Fairy Godmother a half step behind her. “Oh, sweetheart, we’re so glad that you’re okay.”

“Sorry,” Chad said, fidgeting awkwardly in place. It was weird to talk after all this time, to _not_ create those strangled mewls or weak purrs.

“Honey, you’ve got nothing to apologize for,” she soothed, dragging him into a hug, which Chad had sort of come to expect as Shadow but didn’t- that wasn’t a thing he got as _Chad_ and he melted into it, even though she probably thought he was gross because he’d peed on her in his cat form. “You were doing your best.”

King Eugene slid back into view. “Now that the hard part’s over, could I ask you guys some questions?” he pressed. “Regarding the last few weeks. Tonight, specifically.”

“Anything we can do to help,” the Duchess said sagely, giving Chad one last squeeze before stepping back, and then Fairy Godmother was stepping in to replace her, her eyes shining in the fine light of the cabin.

“Your grandfather gave us quite a scare, Chadwick,” Fairy Godmother sniffed. “But I’m so very glad you’re okay, and I love you very much.”

Chad felt his cheeks heat in a furious blush – and that was one thing he would miss from being a cat, how relatively easy it was to hide his emotions. “You don’t have to say that.”

“ _Chadwick_ ,” she began, tone stern like it was when there were students talking out of turn. She pulled back to cup his face between her hands. “I never say anything I don’t precisely mean. Now, I’ve been uninvolved in your life because I was respecting what I _thought_ were your father’s wishes-”

“What?” Chad’s dad perked up behind them. “I didn’t-”

“I know that dear,” Fairy Godmother soothed, her thumb rubbing small circles on Chad’s cheek. “ _Now_ , at least. I’m sorry it took me so long to figure that out, but now there is very little that is going to keep me out of your life.” She squared her shoulders with a watery smile. “I am your Great Godmother, Chad, so believe me when I say I love you, and I’m very proud of you. _And-_ ” she added with a sort of sing-song tone. “I’m in the process of correcting all your grades, dear. Had to weed out some bad personnel, but you’re now in the top ten percent of your class!”

Chad felt flabbergasted. Totally taken off-guard. He’d known the others had discovered his grandfather’s tampering, but he hadn’t thought-

Happy tears began to spill from the corners of his eyes, and Fairy Godmother was careful to wipe them away, letting them share this moment together.

“Things are going to get better for you now, Chadwick,” she whispered, breaking her hold so she could hug him again. “I _promise_.”

Fairy Godmother had never lied to him before, so Chad felt inclined to believe her, at least this once. 

That made two. _Two_ people that loved him. Three, if he counted Duchess Belle, and he was beginning to think he could. That was- that was a whole heck of a lot. 

“We’ll have a party to celebrate, later,” Chad’s father declared with a smile. “Actually- we’re going to be having a lot of parties, I imagine. There’s a lot to make up for.”

“You don’t-” Chad flushed, suddenly uncomfortable with the amount of attention he was receiving, even though it had been everything he’d ever wanted. “Dad-”

“You’re worth it,” his father insisted, still smiling. It was a nice look on him. Chad hoped it stayed. “You _deserve_ it.”

“Well, _I_ think it’s a brilliant idea,” King Eugene chirped. “And I hope I’m invited, because I also love you.”

Chad thought he was going to die of embarrassment.

“And before you say that I ‘don’t have to’,” the king continued. “Know that this is something I _get_ to do, because you are very hardworking and brave and kind.”

“And those are very loveable things,” Duchess Belle hummed.

Four. That was _four_ people. _Wow_. 

Duke Adam cleared his throat. “Why don’t we give Chad a chance to recover?”

“Right,” King Eugene grinned. “And we can all catch up. Jay, can you-?”

“I’ve got him,” Jay said before the king had even finished his sentence, wrapping an arm around Chad’s shoulders and dragging him close. “I’ll um- take him to the others, if that’s okay.”

“It is,” Duchess Belle said, and as they were leaving, Chad was pretty sure he heard his father ask who exactly ‘ _the others_ ’ were.

“Do you need anything?” Jay asked as they walked down the hall of the ship. “Did you get injured?”

“No, I’m fine,” Chad murmured, still trying to get a handle on the volume of his voice. “Um… I could use some more clothes, though.”

Or thicker clothes. These were very much um- nothing. 

Despite the fact that Jay had asked the question, Chad hadn’t expected the VK to really help him, but as soon as Chad finished speaking Jay paused, shrugging off his own jacket and draping it across Chad’s shoulders before he could protest, following it quickly with his signature knit hat.

“I didn’t mean-” Chad flushed, wondering how long Jay would let him hold onto these and mildly hoping it was forever because even though _four_ people had said they loved Chad, he could still manage to be greedy.

His protest was cut off by a hug, and Jay was crushing him close again, burying his face in the curve of Chad’s neck and wrapping an arm around his waist sort of like when they were ‘dating’ and that had- that had actually been really nice. 

“…I’m sorry,” Jay said after a moment, sending Chad into a hopeless spiral of confusion. Still, he seemed so serious when he pulled back, allowing just enough space between them so Chad could see his expression. “Chad… back when I was ‘fake’ dating you I… I really just wanted to _actually_ date you, but I didn’t think you’d say yes if I asked so…” He trailed off with a swallow, looking off to the side. “So I made that stuff up, about wanting to get other girls to like me, because I hoped if I like- rocked your world, you might actually want to date me instead of Audrey, but I didn’t realize that the only reason you wanted Audrey was because she was the only person who had ever expressed an explicit interest in you. So when I got mad that you decided to take her out instead of staying with me, I didn’t realize how unfair that was, because you didn’t even know I wanted you in the first place. So.” Jay tilted their foreheads together, easy as could be, as though he hadn’t just shaken Chad’s entire world down to its core. “Will you go out with me? For _real_?” After a moment, he added, “Please?”

Truth be told, Chad didn’t know how to feel about Jay’s explanation. A large part of him thought it was too good to be true, and when he delved into thinking _why_ that was, he realized that he’d um- actually really enjoyed fake dating Jay. He’d enjoyed how he felt around the VK, how Jay would listen to him like what he said mattered and cuddle him and make sure he was taken care of – instead of like, always asking him for stuff and criticizing him or pushing him around like Audrey had. 

But Chad had also always been told he needed to date a _princess_ , or at least a lady – but his grandfather had been the one to tell him that. His grandfather had said if he didn’t get a princess he couldn’t be king, but his grandfather was a traitor and- and really mean, and he’d wanted to kill Chad, so maybe Chad shouldn’t take his orders into consideration anymore.

Which just left Chad guided by the light of his own desires.

And. Well. 

He _really_ liked Jay.

Before Chad had a chance to respond, a new voice cut into the conversation, sounding distinctly unimpressed.

“The fuck he will,” Uma drawled, Chad and Jay turning to see her prowl out of a nearby room. “If he’s dating anybody, it’s going to be _us_.”

And then Chad would have spent some time considering who was included in ‘us’, but then Uma strolled forward and hooked a finger through his collar, tugging Chad forward ever so gently before she leaned forward and _kissed him_. 

Oh wow, oh geez- _wow_. Uma was kissing him, and her lips were pretty soft and she smelled just as nice as he remembered and Chad sort of wished he could purr because he was so very happy and so very confused. He’d never had two people fight over him. Were they going to fight over him? 

Wait, didn’t Uma hate him?

“Sorry,” she said when she pulled back, cupping his face with one hand and stroking small circles on his cheek. “Back in Corona. I thought you were too good to be true, so when I thought I found your ‘secret asshole-ness’ I leapt to attack you, ‘cuz I… I wanted to protect myself from how much I liked you.”

 _What?_ Uma, the brave captain sea witch, _liked_ Chad? As in- but she knew how much he sucked. She’d seen it firsthand.

“That wasn’t fair,” she continued, watching his gaze carefully. “I’m not used to getting a whole lot of good in my life, and you were pretty high up there – you and his royal dumbness and the blondies.” And Lord Frederic and Lady Arianna and even King Edmund and Nigel and Lance – she liked them too, even if she’d never say it. “It freaked me out,” she admitted. “So I pushed you away. Didn’t realize that was a regular occurrence for you.”

Chad was shaking in their hold by the time she was finished with her explanation, feeling entirely overwhelmed with the confession. He’d spent all these weeks thinking they were worried about his disappearance because of what it could do to the VKs, but the thought that they’d actually been missing _him_ was staggering, and so much more than he could have hoped for, because they were both so brave and lovely and kind.

“So,” Uma began, leaning against Jay’s side so that they were all clumped together. “Will you date _us_?” she asked, motioning between her and Jay. 

Jay, who didn’t so much as consider a protest, who watched Chad with an open earnestness because he… he wanted this too.

“But-” Chad felt so lost. “What about Harry and Gil and- and Mal? And _Ben?_ ”

The two of them shared a look, and then Jay squeezed his waist. “We’ve sort of been working towards a um… group thing. You were invited to stay for the summer so we could…” he trailed off with a furious blush, which was very distracting this close.

“He wanted to involve you too,” Uma explained with a roll of her eyes. “And before I knew everything that was actually going on, I probably would have said no, but my dumb head’s been set straight now, so long story short, we’d all like to date you.”

All-

 _All of them_?

“I think we broke him,” Jay murmured after Chad had a tiny breakdown over Ben and Mal and two pirates he’d never officially met wanting to date the loser prince who’d been stuck as a cat for like, a month.

“I’ve heard kisses are good for fixing things,” Uma offered, and then they took turns doing just that, trading kisses with Chad and explaining all the things they liked about him until he was pretty sure he was going to turn into a pile of mush.

And then, of course, they _both_ told him they loved him.

“Don’t get a big head over it,” Uma reminded him, but then she kissed him again, making Chad sigh.

“Or do,” Jay chirped, running a hand through Chad’s curls. “Since we’re pretty awesome people.”

And Chad honestly couldn’t disagree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Endnotes:
> 
> Hey guys!! Thank you so much for all the wonderful and very supportive feedback! I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure how this wackadoo story would be received, and I’m very grateful to all of you for enthusiastically sticking around for the ride!!
> 
> And we’re almost at the end! Next update will have the final chapter, epilogue, and deleted scenes all posted at once, along with the first chapter of my next story ‘A Curious Cat’ (I know, two cat-themed stories in a row, I promise it wasn’t intentional ;D)
> 
> My next story will be a short, four chapter fic, and after that I’ll be posting my anniversary piece (a yearly tradition I have where I try to commemorate the anniversary of the first fic I ever posted). I’m bouncing between two rough drafts now, but whichever I choose, it will be another one of my long stories :) 
> 
> Story notes:
> 
> Because Disney has decided not to name the Captain of the Guards in Cinderella despite him being a prominent character in the live action movie, I decided to name him after the actor that portrayed him, thus making him Captain Anozie, after Nonso Anozie.
> 
> Peters is entirely made up for the purposes of this story, and you can see how much he matters based on how much effort I put into naming him ;D
> 
> Until next time :)


	12. One Month Ago – Part 3

-:-:-:-:-:-

_Present Day_

-:-:-:-:-:-

Entering a room with the others after interacting with them so long as a cat was nothing less than awkward – especially with Gil and Harry, who Chad had _only_ met in cat form

Gil didn’t seem to register this anxiety though, the blond lighting up in a brilliant smile once he caught sight of Chad before he was darting across the room, bulldozing through any sort of personal boundaries so he could pull Chad into his arms and _lift_ him like he was nothing, spinning them once before he stopped to cuddle Chad close to his chest.

“Shadow!” he greeted, nuzzling Chad’s shoulder. “You’re big now! And a prince!”

“We’ve been waiting for ye,” Harry said, and Chad wasn’t sure if he meant that as _Shadow_ or if he was referring to Chad himself, could only register the spike in his pulse when the pirate reached forward to stroke his chin, looking at Chad with the same intensity he aimed at Uma. “Glad to have ye back in one piece.”

“ _Chad_.” Mal bodily shoved Harry out of the way so she could cup the prince’s face between her delicate hands, staring up at him with a watery gaze that glowed a brilliant green. “Chad. _Chad_.”

“Try saying some actual words, princess,” Uma drawled, sounding amused as she slid into the room, but Mal barely registered the comment.

“Missed you,” Mal hushed, tilting their foreheads together. “Missed you so much. Love you.”

“ _Mal_ ,” Chad croaked, feeling like he was going to tear up all over again. He had already cried so much that day, and yet, he still managed to find this constant source of overwhelmed sorrow.

“ _No_ ,” she interrupted, squeezing her hands together ever so carefully. “No. You didn’t even know we were friends because I wouldn’t tell you. I thought you were being kind, indulging how unused I was to having good things. I didn’t realize – _none_ of us realized you weren’t used to it either.” She leaned forward, and then she was kissing him- _Chad_ , the guy who was not Ben, just as gently as she had when they used to practice. “You deserve to know,” she declared when she pulled back. “Deserve to know how much I appreciated and valued and grew to love the careful, blond prince who was strong enough to admit he had been wrong and _change_ for the better. So much so that I goaded Jay into making a move so I- so me and Ben- so we could _all-_ ” She trailed off when she seemed no longer able to articulate herself, burying her face in the curve of Chad’s neck, her lips brushing the skin just under his collar. “We thought you were dead, and I hated myself, because one of the last things I did to you was laugh when you ran terrified into the woods.”

Gil seemed to hug Chad closer at that, though the prince could do nothing but stare at Mal who seemed nothing but genuine. And it had hurt- _that_ had hurt so much he never dared to think of it, but still he’d thought it was his due.

“If you date them, date me,” Mal said, kissing his jaw, his cheek. “Date _us_ , please. We need you. We need Prince Chadwick James, the guy who stealthily talked all the kingdoms into ratifying the Isle reformations. We need the guy who introduced Uma to her kingdom and the guy who helped me learn to be a queen and the guy who deserves _so much good_ and has gotten so very little of it. Let us give you that, _please_.” She reached down, squeezing his hands, and only then did Gil lower him to the floor, though he maintained a tight hold on Chad. “We want to, sweetheart. We’d be honored to.”

“M-Mal,” Chad gasped, because even with Audrey, he had never hoped to achieve more than being the guy that held her purse, and now they wanted- they thought he was special and they wanted him, they’d _mourned_ for him. “I want- _please_ , I’ll be good.”

“You _are_ good,” she said, and then she soundly kissed him again.

And then there was one. One brilliant, terrifying person who had maintained his silence, who through even the incoming euphoria of definite _love_ had Chad’s heart throbbing in his chest.

As a cat, Chad hadn’t been afraid of Ben because Chad was Shadow and Shadow had few rules to live by. Avoiding Ben wasn’t one of them.

It was reclaiming his human body that had old terrors clawing at his brain, even when Ben seemed so very careful and tentative in his approach.

“…Chad,” he said quietly, reaching a hand out.

Chad flinched. “You can’t- you’re not supposed to- don’t-” He turned to bury his face in Gil’s chest as the overwhelming call of his conditioning screamed in his ears. “I’ll taint you; I taint everything, I can’t taint the king-”

“You fix things,” Gil said quietly, pressing a kiss to Chad’s shoulder. “Uma’s plan failed and you helped fix it.”

“I failed to help the Isle like I promised and you fixed _that_ ,” Ben pointed out.

“You kept me from destroying some fancy boutique because I couldn’t figure out a host gift,” Mal said. “You taught me how to dance. Your schedule was busy, but you always honored your commitments.”

“You congratulated Mal on her engagement, even though you were scared of Ben,” Jay said. “You stuck close to Audrey even though she scared you too, because Queen Rapunzel asked you too.”

“You do a lot of things, Chad,” Ben said, and he was getting closer now but the fear hadn’t increased past a manageable amount. Chad could still think. Maybe being Shadow near Ben had helped that. “Making them worse is not one of them. If this has proved anything, it’s that I’m worse without you.”

“We all are,” Uma said, huddling close, until each of them seemed to draw near in a group hug. “You balance us, blondie.”

“Your grandfather was afraid of the power my affections would grant you,” Ben said. “So he hurt you. Tried to turn you away from me and… and if you can’t- if you never feel comfortable around me, Chad, that’s okay. We don’t- you don’t have to accept _all_ of us to still be in this.”

Chad’s gaze widened. “But-”

Ben couldn’t offer _that_. He couldn’t offer Chad Mal, his fiancé, and Jay, his like, best friend, and he couldn’t coax Chad towards Uma and her crew with the understanding that he’d have none of Chad’s meager affections for himself. Even if it wasn’t much, it would still look bad, and Chad didn’t-

He _wanted_ to love Ben, desperately – he was just so _afraid_.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Chad whispered, his throat feeling so very tight. “You can’t let me- you have to _tell_ me if I hurt you, if I make things worse, I have to _know_ , Ben, or I’ll go back to the box-”

“ _Never_ ,” Ben growled, surging forward until he was nuzzling Chad’s shoulder, his neck. “You’re never going back there, no one is ever hurting you again.”

“But it’s always _there_ ,” Chad moaned, ashamed but knowing it needed to be said. “In my mind. It’s lurking, waiting for me to mess up and then it’ll claim me-”

“But we’ll always be there,” Mal interrupted, squeezing Chad’s hand. “You need to understand that, Chad. You may have been alone before, but we will always be there to open the box.”

“Just like your dad did,” Jay added in a whisper.

It was too much. It was everything. It was not enough.

Chad started crying. “Please _stay_ ,” he gasped, clinging to them. “Please. I need- we can-”

“We’ll stay,” Mal said, and none of them disagreed, because it was what they all wanted.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chad and his father were cleared to return to the castle once Captain Anozie had confirmed that every guard, employee, and person of significant political sway that had been under his grandfather’s control had been arrested for the multitude of crimes they had committed over the years. Chad had been afraid this would leave them terribly short-staffed, but help came by way of Corona – and then from Arendelle and Hanover and Camelot. All their neighboring kingdoms had come to loan Chad’s father staff while they worked through the mess of rebuilding their castle employee base and government from the ground up, and Chad had thought that in itself had been a generous boon, but apparently that wasn’t the _only_ reason they had come. 

“Chad!” Ruby greeted when he stepped back into the castle. “You’re okay!”

The blonde more or less threw herself at Chad, careful to keep the cast iron frying pan she had clutched in one hand safely out of the way. She was accompanied by two harried looking Corona guards, which likely indicated her presence in the rescue mission hadn’t been intentional. 

“Yeah,” Chad said awkwardly, returning her hold with a swell of fondness he couldn’t fight if he wanted to. “It’s nice to see you, Ruby.” 

“Back at ya, Chad.” Ruby grinned when she pulled away, giving Chad’s bicep a light punch. “It’s hard being the ultimate blond duo without my buddy.”

Chad felt an embarrassed heat begin to flood his cheeks. “You’re um- pretty ‘ultimate’ without me.”

“Flatterer,” Ruby chirped. “And _wrong_. And also- Uma!” Ruby was off like a lightning bolt, hurling herself at the captain who took her affections with the same look of put-upon exasperation that she always used. 

Chad had the tiniest inkling that she actually loved Ruby’s hugs as much as Chad did, but also had a difficult time expressing this appreciation.

“It’s good to see you!” Ruby cheered when she pulled away again. “Great, even! And you must be Gil!”

Unlike Chad and Uma, Gil was all for enthusiastic hugs from people he had just met, and listening to Ruby’s delighted giggles spill from her throat as he picked her up and spun her around just might be one of Chad’s new favorite things.

“That’s Harry,” Gil said when he set Ruby down. “He will flirt with you but he’s super spoken for.”

“I knew that before I met him,” Ruby chirped, and then she bypassed the hand Harry offered out to her (likely to kiss her knuckles) to tackle hug him with a force strong enough to send him sprawling to the floor.

“I can see why you like her,” Mal drawled, and then she was slipping her hand into Chad’s, tugging him deeper into the castle.

“What’s happening?” Chad asked when he noticed the bustle of people, brows furrowed in confusion when he realized Mal was taking him towards the ballroom. “Are we celebrating something?”

“Yep,” Mal hummed, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. “We’re celebrating _you_.”

That was all the warning Chad got before the footmen opened the door to the ballroom, and Mal tugged him towards the top of the grand staircase to reveal-

Royals. A mess of them. And it wasn’t just Sardinia’s neighboring kingdoms, but _most_ of the royal couples Chad had spoken to in his efforts to gain support for the Isle legislature. They were all there, in his ballroom, and when they caught sight of him they cheered, loud, inarticulate sounds of jubilation that warmed Chad down to his bones.

“Chad, buddy!” Emperor Kuzco said, climbing the stairs to meet Chad and Mal halfway because patience was not his strength. “Glad you’re alright, champ. If you need to talk to anyone about magic animal transformations, me and Duke Adam have a club. We’ve totally got your back.” Chad felt himself blush when the emperor patted his shoulder, but his comments didn’t seem to be derogatory in any way, the emperor’s smile nothing but the same kind support it had always been. “Also, I brought Pacha and his family along with me. Kids are ready to shower you with hugs when you get the chance.”

“Pacha?” Mal asked.

“He’s um- head of one of the villages in Inca,” Chad said, feeling more confident with Emperor Kuzco’s knowing nod. “I tried to interview the smaller towns in the kingdoms I visited to get a feel for their opinions on the Isle and to try and build up some goodwill. Mr. Pacha was very helpful.”

“ _Mr. Pacha_ ,” Emperor Kuzco giggled, the same way he always did when Chad addressed his friend like that. “Alright, I won’t hold you up, you’ve got a mess of other people who have been worried sick about you.”

The emperor disappeared before Chad could ask what that meant, and then he was being greeted by the warm smiles of King Naveen and Queen Tiana, their voices just as warm and comforting as they had been the day they’d met.

The next few hours passed in a sort of blur. Chad was greeted and hugged and fussed over by the royals he’d apparently befriended in his quest to help the Isle. He hadn’t realized they were so close, but all of them had smiles for him, all of them had rushed to Sardinia upon hearing news of his return, wanting to see the prince for themselves.

“Prince Chad!” Princess Sophia had cheered in that sweet voice of hers, the princess gladly offering him a hug that her step siblings enthusiastically echoed.

“I’m glad you returned in one piece,” Princess Amber had sniffed, her head tilted in that haughty air of hers that had once made Chad worry for her, until he’d realized that for all her snootiness, she was just as kind and loving as her siblings. “We couldn’t have a majestic beachside wedding if you had been stolen away forever.”

“Get in line, princess,” Uma had muttered when Chad had been struggling to manage a coherent response. He hadn’t thought much on Amber’s previous claims of their eventual marriage, but um- apparently he was ‘prince goals’ or something, and that was as overwhelming as it was flattering, he guessed.

“We’re glad you’re okay, Chadwick,” Queen Miranda said, squeezing close to King Roland. “We had begun to fear for the worst.”

“Yes,” King Roland said gravely. “I had my sister, Tilly, reorganize Enchancia’s search when our initial patrols turned up nothing.”

Chad did not know what to do with this information. “…what?”

Mal elbowed him lightly in the side. “Every kingdom here organized searches to find you,” she explained. “King Triton and Queen Kida coordinated the ocean searches. My dad took care of the Isle-”

“Queen Elsa took the wild magic lands in the north,” Uma said. “Everyone tried to do their part.”

“We couldn’t search all the kingdoms,” King Roland said, perhaps with a bit of bitterness as he dwelled on Auroria and Ulstead and the Southern Isles. “But we could clear our own, so that was what we did.”

Before Chad could ask _why_ , he was pulled away again, this time by Princess Elena, who on prompting had explained the searches that had been done in Avalor. 

Every one of them had looked for Chad. Even after weeks of finding nothing, they’d searched. And every one of them was grateful for his return, was _happy_ he was back, so much so that they’d rushed to greet him upon hearing news of his arrival.

Even King Triton was there, his tail transfigured into two human legs that Queen Ariel had coached him through using. When Chad had gaped upon this development, the king offered him a kind smile.

“You have made so many visits to my kingdom, despite it being far from your natural habitat,” the king explained. “I thought it was time I returned the favor.” He paused, tilting his head in a slight bow towards Uma. “Captain.”

“Uncle,” Uma said, and then they shared their quiet moment of subdued respect before Queen Ariel swept in, hugging her cousin close, much to Uma’s blushing delight.

There were so many people. Mayor Esmeralda of Notre Dame and King Arthur of Camelot, Chieftain Moana of Montunui and Tarzan, king of Deep Jungle and cousin to Queen Rapunzel. Speaking of, it wasn’t _just_ the immediate royal family of Corona that had made an appearance, but the former king and queen themselves, along with the king of the Dark Kingdom – all of them happy to see Chad _and_ Uma, all who gladly inquired on his health and demanded his visits and gave him so many hugs he thought he would start crying all over again. He probably did, but they were kind enough not to comment on it. All of them were. 

“You’ve spent a lot of time with them,” Chad’s father noted halfway through the joyful reunion. 

Chad shifted nervously. “Yes um… they hosted me over the summer, when I was meeting all the kingdoms, and they also invited me to Yule, so…”

For a moment, his dad looked pained, but it was immediately replaced by a grin so true Chad could never think to doubt it. “We should host them for Yule next year, then.”

This was met with King Eugene’s and Ruby’s enthusiastic cheers, and then Princess Agot – Princess Anna’s daughter – was demanding an invitation for _their_ family as well, because she and Chad had bonded over how fun it was to polka at her coming out party when he’d visited Arendelle.

“I um… I didn’t realize,” Chad said to Fairy Godmother, who was one of several people who had been huddling close to him throughout the course of the night, no matter where he went in the ballroom.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” she said, her voice so beautifully kind it made Chad wonder if that was how she’d addressed his mother, way back when. “We didn’t do a good job showing you.”

Chad began to protest. “That’s not true,” he said. “Everyone was very kind when I met them.”

Granted, some were more hesitant than others, but none of them had been outright hostile.

She gave him a sad look. “We let you suffer, Chadwick. All of us did. We looked at a boy as hardworking and kind as you and thought there was no way you could be hurting, no way you couldn’t be cherished, when we already cherished you ourselves.” She placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a gentle squeeze. “By _not_ acting, we enabled your grandfather’s abuse, and that is a grave error we will likely hold against ourselves for a long time. Just… please know that we care for you very much, and we hold none of this against you.”

“But…” Chad swallowed. “If I’d- if I’d just _tried-_ ” 

“You did try,” Fairy Godmother said, wearing a look that indicated that she would accept no arguments on this subject. “And we found you. _That_ is what matters.”

It didn’t feel like enough to Chad, who still felt kind of awkward dealing with the fact that he’d essentially given up on all these people that had been incredibly invested in his wellbeing.

“Don’t worry about it,” Duke Adam said when Chad must have looked very unsure. “That’s sort of the magic of the Enchantress. She takes these things we can’t see for ourselves – because we’re too close to the issue or we’ve been conditioned to behave a certain way – and _pushes_ us.” He turned so he could settle a hand on Chad’s shoulder, looking him carefully in the eye. “Wanting to stay as you were- that’s not a crime, Chad. Giving what you’ve experienced, being allowed that sort of constant comfort must have been a great gift. Accepting that- it doesn’t make you bad. The Enchantress saw kindness in you and I think… I think she wanted you to have that choice,” he said, finally. “When she cursed me it was a punishment, because I had allowed myself to become rotten and self-centered, furious at the loss of my parents instead of focusing on my kingdom. It was only with her curse that I was able to move past all that and come to get something even better. But for you, Chad…” He trailed off, his brows furrowed in thought. “I think she wanted you to see things from a different perspective, see how your loss would affect us, but in light of that, I think she also wanted you to be loved. For you to be in a position where you could _feel_ loved, and if you wanted to keep that…” He trailed off with a soft grin. “Then that was yours to have. She wasn’t punishing you, Chad, she was helping you, in the only way she knew how.”

As the only other person that had knowingly been spelled by the Enchantress, Chad felt inclined to agree with Duke Adam’s assessment, feeling some of his uneasiness settle in his bones. True, it made his father- made his friends and Fairy Godmother and Duchess Belle and the Fitzherberts – a little sad to know that Chad had been so lonely that he would have preferred life as a cat, but Queen Rapunzel pushed past that and requested a list of _what_ Chad had actually enjoyed about being Shadow.

He’d given it, eventually, when Jay had wrapped his arms around his waist and cuddled Chad close from behind, acting as a solid reassurance that Chad really wasn’t alone anymore.

Chad had enjoyed the constant cuddles. He’d enjoyed not having to worry about where his food would come from, or if there would be enough of it, or how he’d get it. He liked knowing that he couldn’t be a bad prince, or too dumb, or a disappointment, because Shadow had always been wanted. He’d liked not sleeping alone. He’d liked not having to worry about getting locked in the box, or ruining things.

Queen Rapunzel listened to the explanation quietly, even as Chad’s father grew more and more stricken (though King Eugene helped with that, pulling Chad’s father into a hug of his own that he didn’t seem to know what to do with). And then, just as patiently, she and the others went through all the ways those good things could still apply to his life as Chad.

His father assured him there would always be food – good food, whatever he wanted and however much he needed. When the king had started tearing up, Captain Anozie said the box would be destroyed and the under-basement sealed forever. Said that Chad would get the same furnishings as everyone else. That he wouldn’t have to worry about his bed or his bathroom. Fairy Godmother said he didn’t have to worry about being a bad prince because he was already a _brilliant_ one, that the majority of the kingdoms in Auradon wouldn’t have united to search for anything less, and that his updated grades already spoke to how smart he was.

Ben and the others were the ones that promised cuddles, that promised Chad would never sleep alone again. That promised he would always be wanted, that he didn’t have to feel pressured into doing a single thing he did not want to do.

It was a lot. But Chad was beginning to realize it was a good a lot. It was a lot that he was allowed to _have_ , that he deserved, that he could celebrate. 

It made him realize that even though he was leaving Shadow behind, he could still have good things, that he still didn’t have to worry about ruining stuff every moment of every day. He didn’t have to fear that he was pathetic or stupid or dumb, because… because he wasn’t those things. Mal wouldn’t love any of those things.

So Chad just… let go.

From that point on, he decided he would live as Shadow in human form, with all the strength and dignity of Chad. He’d just- he’d be both.

Because he could _have_ both.

And that was what mattered.

-:-:-:-:-:-

_1 Month Ago_

-:-:-:-:-:-

Because Chad was especially uncreative, he retreated all the way back to Auradon Prep, towards the dorm he’d be moving out of in a couple of days. The next step would be for him to move back to Sardinia before repacking for his college dorm room – which almost hadn’t happened because the Duke didn’t want to _‘waste Sardinia’s money_ ’ on Chad’s poor academic track record, but if he didn’t go to college he couldn’t be _king_ , so Chad had managed to win enough essay scholarships to at least pay for his first semester of school. Things would be tight, and he’d have to start the entire process all over for the Spring semester, but at least he had a start. 

He’d miss this place. It had provided a lot of solace for him during his darker times. And sure, it would be difficult to get used to a new place, to leave these memories behind and start fresh, but maybe… maybe it would be good for him. Maybe if he couldn’t win a great princess he could at least meet a strong, intelligent woman, like Lady Belle. Maybe even someone from Sardinia. 

There was hope for him yet. Maybe. 

Until then, Chad would slump atop the stairs leading up to his dorm, hiding his face in his hands and wishing the pain of losing Audrey would just _go away_.

Chad had lost the inevitable battle with his tears by the time he felt someone settle down next to him, a hand settling on his shoulder. “Chad?”

It was Jay’s voice. Jay, the big, brave hero of Auradon, the one who’d only spoken to Chad in passing for the past year. 

Chad hastily wiped at his cheeks, knowing there was no way to hide the redness in his eyes but attempting to manage a cool façade anyway, because it was _Jay_. “Yep, that’s me.”

“Right.” Jay was kind enough to force a small chuckle. “Are you okay?”

Why had Jay followed him all the way back here? The celebration was happening down by the harbor, that’s where all his friends were. Why was he here, wasting time with Chad? Had he traveled all the way back on foot? Maybe he was just grabbing something from the school for Ben – that was it. He’d just seen Chad being all pathetic and taken pity on him. He hadn’t- he wasn’t here for Chad _exclusively_.

“Um…” Chad sniffed, trying to swallow down his emotions. “Audrey broke up with me.”

He didn’t mention the part where he hadn’t known they were dating, because that would be too pathetic.

Jay – whose dating plan Chad had ruined by ‘breaking up’ with him for Audrey – tensed, and then for whatever reason, he started rubbing small circles on Chad’s back. “I’m sorry, dude. That’s rough.”

“T-Thanks.” Chad squeezed his eyes shut again, because the mere offering of sympathy was more than he’d expected, and even though it was like – a feigned obligation, it was still really touching.

“You know what?” Jay said, tone switching into an unreadable flavor of positive. “Ben’s hosting a graduation party in a couple days, and a few of us are going to stay a few weeks as a sort of end of summer celebration. You should come.”

“Umm.” Chad wiped at his eyes again. “You probably shouldn’t invite people to parties you aren’t hosting.”

“So if Ben invited you, you’d come?” Jay asked, sounding thoughtful.

Chad wasn’t sure _why_ though; it wasn’t like Ben would want Chad to be around.

But Chad was still a prince, and he couldn’t actually turn down an invitation from the king, even if it was a hypothetical one.

“Sure,” Chad said after a beat. “Who doesn’t like a good party?”

Jay’s only response was to slide an arm around Chad’s shoulders, and it shouldn’t have been as comforting as it was, but Chad was only human. It was inevitable for him to melt into the contact, wishing it could be as easy as when they had dated, and knowing it never would be again.

“You’ll like this one,” Jay assured him. “There’s going to be some people there that I think you’ll like to meet.”

The sentiment would likely not be returned, but it was nice that Jay was trying. He didn’t have to, and yet, here he was.

So Chad enjoyed it while it was available. He saw no reason not to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s all, folks!! Thank you so much for joining me on this crazy ride! I know I say this a lot, but I really wasn’t sure how people were going to receive this story, and though I felt compelled to write it regardless of this trepidation, it has been both a great relief in pleasure to see it so greatly enjoyed. There aren’t enough exclamation marks and emojis to express my thanks for your continued support, but by golly, will I use as many as I can until I get close ;D
> 
> If you’re looking for more Descendants goodness, I’ll be posting the first chapter of my next story, ['A Curious Cat'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27619930/chapters/67573297) shortly. It is four chapters of angst, nonsense, and mistaken identities – so, you know, the usual ;)
> 
> Story notes:
> 
> Heads up – I think someone asked me early on if Mal/Ben knew about Jay’s plan to date Chad and I blanked and said they didn’t, but gladly went along with it. I bounce around between a lot of rough drafts so I forgot that I’d already written that Mal totally knew and encouraged it, so my bad! Sorry about that confusion. 
> 
> Based on some very vague research I made a while ago, I determined that the Emperor’s New Groove was based on the Incan Empire in Peru, and since they don’t really give him empire a name, for the purposes of this story, it is just Inca.
> 
> Agot is definitely an OC I made up to round out the young royals. Feel free to use her if you want, just give me a shoutout in the endnotes.
> 
> Princess Sophia, Amber, King Roland, Tilly, and Queen Miranda are all from the animated show ‘Sophia the First’. Princess Elena is from the animated show ‘Elena of Avalor’. 
> 
> Arendelle sent workers to help Sardinia despite not being one of its neighboring kingdoms because I buy into the fancanon that Rapunzal and Anna and Elsa are cousins. I also believe Tarzan is Anna and Elsa’s younger brother, because why not have large, sprawling royal families? ;D 
> 
> Until next time :)


	13. Epilogue

-:-:-:-:-:-

_The Future_

-:-:-:-:-:-

The day of the wedding was a terrifying thing.

Well, mostly it was exciting for the promises of _new_ and _better_ that it offered – but overall it was a bit intimidating, though the presence of the others made it marginally less so. Chad had spent the night before cuddled between Jay and Uma, with Mal doing her best to reach over Jay’s bulk to lay a hand on Chad, Ben smiling in amusement from his position between Gil and Harry. They’d all been together and they’d all been close, and maybe it wasn’t conventional but it had been comfortable, which was the only thing Chad cared about in the long run. 

“Things will change,” Uma told him, squeezing his hand when he started to shiver. “But it will be a good change.”

“And we’ll be with you through all of it,” Jay hummed, and then he finished the conversation the same way they always did nowadays, nuzzling against Chad’s shoulder with a soft – “ _Love you_.”

“Aw, me too!” Gil would chirp, and then they’d all pile on until each of them knew that they loved everyone else, which was a time-consuming ritual for them, but a very good one. 

It made standing at the end of the aisle next to his father in the Sardinian Cathedral all the more manageable, even if his father seemed even more nervous than Chad was, fidgeting with his dress uniform enough times to break his reputation as ‘charming’ until Captain Anozie had to bring him to a halt with a knowing _look_ , one that shifted into fond exasperation when it trailed over to Chad.

Yeah, it was a pretty good day.

The room was full because royal weddings always demanded a high attendance – even unconventional ones like these – but Chad didn’t feel the normal swell of terror that came from making a public appearance. He hadn’t in the few years since his grandfather’s incarceration. Sardinia had thrived in the Duke’s absence, but Chad felt like he had thrived even more. He had friends now – friends and lovers he didn’t feel like a burden on. He was on his way to graduating with honors from Auradon University, and would be entering one of the most prestigious law schools in the combined kingdoms soon after. He could stand tall and walk surely, knowing he wasn’t a disappointment to Sardinia, to his father or Mal or Jay or Uma. He could finally _live_.

And now, this.

The music started to change, and his father tensed, hand twitching against his side as he stared at the large doors of the cathedral with wide eyes.

“It’s time,” Captain Anozie said, offering Chad’s father a fond grin. “Shall we go, or will you honor your late wife with a chase?”

That, somehow, made Chad’s father smile. “I’m afraid my shoes aren’t nearly as remarkable as hers.”

“Then perhaps we should go,” the captain said, and with that, the doors opened wide. 

Chad offered the king his arm, who took it eagerly, melting back into his public façade of charm by the time they started walking down the aisle. Captain Anozie walked ahead of them, acting as an honor guard with Fairy Godmother. When they parted at the head of the aisle, Chad felt his father truly relax, his smile go from a mask of composure to genuine happiness when he caught sight of what he had been waiting for him all along.

Ben stood at the center of the altar, looking gorgeous and composed in his king regalia, and while he was a distracting sight for Chad, the prince knew his father was more taken by his own partners.

King Eugene and Queen Rapunzel stood together on one side of the altar, looking down on Chad’s father with twin smiles of joy that seemed so bright Chad thought he might melt – and knew without having to look that his father echoed the sentiment entirely, staring up at the two with a sort of wonderment he had never been able to contain.

It was there that Chad parted from his father, taking his dutiful position opposite Ruby, who offered him a grin almost as bright as her parents’, her thick braid laden with flowers of light blue, lilac, and gold, to represent Corona and Sardinia. 

Ben began the announcements as soon as everyone was in position, his smile knowing and proud. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to unite the guiding lights of Corona and Sardinia in holy matrimony. And while that sounds… very official-” That earned him a scattering of laughter. “It is more important to know that we are here today to unify the bond grown and celebrated by Eugene and Rapunzel Fitzherbert, and Christopher James – or, more officially, his royal highness, Christopher Rupert Windermere Vladimir Charles Alexander François Reginald Lancelot Herman Gregory _James_.” 

Chad’s father gave the two Fitzherberts a shy grin, but they had been about as put off by Sardinia’s excessive naming conventions as they had about his father’s depression, which was to say, they weren’t.

“This is the first wedding of this kind,” Ben continued. “And while there are some who may oppose the idea of celebrating this wonderful abundance of love, I personally think it is a gift. A gift I am honored to facilitate, to help solidify in the eyes of the law, so you may stand proudly together as husbands and wife. Eugene.” Ben turned to the King of Corona, and heir to the Dark Kingdom. “Do you take Rapunzel and Christopher to be your lawfully wedded partners, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, until the day you are parted?”

“I do,” King Eugene said with a roguish grin. “Enthusiastically.”

Behind him, Ruby rolled her eyes at the sight of the king’s much noted ‘ _smolder_ ’.

“Rapunzel,” Ben continued. “Do you take Eugene and Christopher to be your lawfully wedded partners, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, until the day you are parted?”

“I do,” she pledged, her eyes shining with the promise of happy tears. “I really do.”

And then there was one.

“Christopher,” Ben said, turning to Chad’s father, who stood alone on his side of the alter for what would hopefully be the last time. “Do you take Eugene and Rapunzel-?” 

“I do,” the king said, quickly but without fear, smiling so wide that it made Chad’s heart throb with happiness.

Ben took no offence by his excitement, and the Fitzherberts didn’t either. “Then, by the power invested in me as King of Auradon, I now pronounce you husbands and wife. You may kiss-”

Queen Rapunzel wasn’t one for waiting, and happily darted across the altar to grab the collar of the king of Sardinia’s formal uniform and drag him down into an enthusiastic kiss. When she pulled away, King Eugene was there to follow her, shifting into a soft kiss that made Chad’s father melt against him. They all ended sort of clutching each other, as though they were afraid one would vanish if they let go, and behind them, Ben looked on the exchange with an expression of joy.

“Everyone,” Ben announced with shining eyes. “I am proud to introduce their royal majesties, the James-Fitzherberts!”

The crowd cheered with delight, Chad’s partners and Ruby’s family hollering from the front row. Fairy Godmother was crying – open, happy tears, and Jane was beaming beside her, because this was a good day. A good, wonderful thing had happened.

“You can’t get rid of us now,” King Eugene cheered as he took his father’s far side, until Chad’s father was safely boxed between his two new partners. “I’m afraid you’re stuck with us, my love.”

Chad’s father only beamed. “There’s no place I would rather be.”

“I’m sure Ella agrees,” Queen Rapunzel grinned, and then they were walking back down the aisle, marching into the world as Auradon’s first polygamous wedded couple. 

A few years ago, Chad would have been terrified by the prospect of a reception. Terrified of making a mistake, of spilling a drink or coming off as dumb or a fool. He would have been terrified that no one would want to dance with him, or that _Ben_ would ask and Chad would have to say yes. He would have been afraid he would never be able to keep Audrey happy.

Now, Chad had a multitude of dance partners to keep him occupied all evening long, and it wasn’t just his own lovers either. He had Ruby, who snagged him for their very first sibling dance while she gushed about how excited she was to have a brother, until the two of them were clinging together, teary but happy, the common theme for the evening. There was Agot – who had claimed Chad as a cousin-in-law and her twin brother Kennet, there were their cousins Tabitha and James, the daughter and son of King Tarzan and Queen Jane. There was Jane and Fairy Godmother and Duchesse Belle, there was Queen Rapunzel (his new mom – his _additional_ mom, not a replacement, but a gift of her own) and his new grandmother Duchess Arianna. There was Princess Sophia and Amber and their mother Queen Miranda and so many other royals who he had kept up with over the years after pitching the Isle revisions to them. 

There was no Audrey. While the entirety of her crimes had been committed while she was a minor, in light of her willing cooperation with the Duke’s bribery and her overall poor treatment of Chad (which wasn’t really a crime, but her parents were suitably unimpressed with this upon discovering it), she’d spent the entirety of her college years under house arrest, getting the therapy she needed and doing community service to reconnect with the civic obligations that all royals should prioritize.

According to Queen Aurora, things seemed to be going well, and Audrey seemed to thrive being out of the public spotlight. It turned out that some of the biggest contributions to her poor behavior could be partly attributed to the intense pressure her grandparents put on her, as well as the toxic influence of her grandmother, Queen Ingrith.

Yeah, it turned out Audrey had an evil grandparent too, only Queen Ingrith had tried to mold Audrey into a miniature version of herself instead of killing her off like Chad’s grandfather, and Audrey had felt so trapped by her position that she’d lashed out at the easy target that was Chad.

That didn’t make things right, but they’d had a lot of heart-to-hearts about it over the phone where Audrey apologized profusely, embarrassed for her past behavior. 

“ _You really were a great boyfriend_ ,” she informed him with a sniff, both of them having spent a lot of time crying. “ _I was just so willing to buy into our grandparents’ bullshit of you not being good enough because of your mother, and that’s on me. That wasn’t um- very princess-like of me. Or um- **decent**_.”

It wasn’t okay, but Chad was willing to cut her a bit of a break because as much as Queen Ingrith had Audrey twisted around her finger, she’d also apparently abused the princess a great deal, who had taken it as her due, like that was all part of princess training.

So overall that was all kind of horrible, but it was something that got better every day. Audrey couldn’t come to the wedding (and apparently she didn’t want to risk it yet anyway, worried about defaulting into past behaviors), but she had sent over a selection of custom portraits she’d painted herself along with her parents’ wedding gifts, which seemed to be her own way of showing support.

She’d even sent along a painting of Chad and Jay, the Agraben wrapped around Chad’s back while they stared dreamily into each other’s eyes, and Ben immediately demanded that they hang it up in their suite at Auradon Castle, though Chad’s father had commissioned another one for Corona Castle as well.

It was a lot, and Chad’s heart felt so full and happy he thought he might burst with it.

Later, when he was watching his father climb into the limo with Chad’s two new parents, Chad would feel a swell of gratitude instead of fear, like he used to feel when someone left. This time instead of standing alone, he had Ruby on one side and Uma on the other. He had his new bounty of grandparents and Fairy Godmother and Captain Anozie. He had Quirin and Varian and Uncle Lance (who wasn’t related by blood but Ruby and Agot and the others all adored him) and Aunt Adira and their daughter who seemed to possess Lance’s good humor and her mother’s warrior skill.

It was such a good day and yet Chad found himself tearing up when he saw the limo door close behind them.

“I don’t know why I’m crying,” Chad admitted, trying and failing to maintain his composure for the photographer. “I’m very happy.”

“You’re crying _because_ you’re happy,” Uma said sagely, squeezing Chad’s arm. “You’re crying because you’ve got so much good and you finally get to be contented with it. You’ve got a family and friends and lovers; you’ve got allies and a bright future.” She brushed a kiss against his cheek, and just like every other time she did the same, Chad felt himself furiously blush. “Of course you’re crying, you’ve got no other way to express how happy you are.”

“That’s sounds right,” Ruby said, leaning into Chad’s far side. “You should listen to your fiancé, bro.”

“‘Bro’,” Chad echoed, grinning brightly. “I could get used to that, _sis_.”

“The world isn’t ready for you two,” Uma said, sighing. “But the rest of the world can suck it, we deserve our happy ending.”

“Yeah,” Chad said, thinking back on the spell that didn’t really start it all, just sort of kicked it off. “We really do.”

Uma looked at him like he could hang the moon, like he could part the oceans if he just tried, despite the fact that she was the sorceress between them, and not him. “I’m glad to hear that from you,” she said. “Now let’s get back onto that dance floor, I’ve been wanting to squeeze your butt in those pants all night.”

Chad felt himself blush down to his toes, but he was laughing along with Ruby and Jane. “Yeah,” he said. “Let’s do that.”

So they did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kennet, Tabitha, and James are all OCs I made up for the sake of rounding off the young royals at Auradon Prep. You are free to use them, if you feel so inclined. I know firsthand how irritating it can be to invent people out of the blue, just give me a shoutout in the endnotes ;P
> 
> King Christopher’s excessive name actually comes from the musical ‘Cinderella’ by Rogers and Hammerstein. The first song covers the prince’s many names. In my personal canon, Sardinian princes are given their own name, followed by the names of the previous kings, which is why it is so stupidly long. So technically, the Duke’s name would have been Rupert James, with Francis referring to the piece of property he would have been a Duke over. Assuming I understand that correctly, and I probably don’t, lol. 
> 
> I also haven't seen much of Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventures or whatever the show is now, but I did see a clip of Lance hitting on Adira so they get to be married now. Bam, badass warrior daughter. I mean, why not? 
> 
> Queen Ingrith is from the live action movie ‘Maleficent – Mistress of Evil’. 
> 
> Until next time :)
> 
> -:-:-:-:-:-
> 
> ‘Sunlight through the trees in summer, endless masquerading. Like a flower, as the day is breaking, the memory is fading. Touch me, it’s so easy to leave me, all alone with my memory, of my days in the sun. If you touch me, you’ll understand what happiness is. Look, a new day, has begun’ – ‘Memory’ from the musical ‘Cats’.


	14. Deleted Scenes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t tend to write a story totally in order, so below are the extra scenes I thought might make it into the final version of the story that ended up getting cut for one reason or another.

** Chapter 4 – Alternate ending to Mal/Ben helping ‘practice’ **

Notes: _I toyed with the idea of Chad’s anti-Ben conditioning taking place before he and Jay start ‘dating’, but I ultimately decided having it occur because Chad was involved with Ben/Mal made more sense and allowed for more plot movement. Below is the very brief exert where Chad would have turned Mal and Ben’s ‘help’ down._

-:-:-:-:-:-

“No,” he said on reflex, years of training and yelling and being locked in small boxes coming into play.

For whatever reason, this seemed to surprise Ben, who likely wasn’t used to getting turned down.

“Not that it isn’t a generous offer,” Chad continued, trying to salvage the situation. He could do this; he could _network_ _appropriately_. “Because it is, and I acknowledge that, but um… I’m gonna be on Ben’s council one day, so maybe practice kissing is a thing we should not do.”

That had to violate some rule of conduct. Granted, there was a significant chance Chad would never make it to the council level if he kept failing the tests his grandfather put out for him, but as long as he still had the chance, he was going to maintain a positive outlook. It was all he could do.

There was another odd moment where Ben realized Chad had actually argued a point that was valid. 

Mal frowned. “You’re not on his council now.”

“But I _will_ be,” Chad pressed, trying to ignore the tiny curl of panic in his stomach before it could explode into a relentless cascade. “And because of that there is certain behavior that is expected for me to-”

“Do you want to kiss Ben or not?” Mal asked, fully annoyed now, and Chad had been conditioned on how to properly answer that question for _years_ that the response came out on reflex, terror sinking its claws into him.

“ _No_ ,” he replied, dutifully, _forcefully_ and was so horrified by the desperate basically-a-shout that he shoved both of his hands against his mouth, eyes going wide. 

He said the right answer. He said the right answer so he shouldn’t get in trouble, but he still _might_ because he hadn’t done it the right way, he had yelled, _at the king_ , like a stupid little ruffian and he was going to go back inside the box, and Chad didn’t _want_ to go there even if he deserved it-

“Hey.” Mal was in front of him, cupping his cheeks in a gentle movement that disconnected from everything Chad was doing. “Breathe with me, Chad. We need you to _breathe-_ ”

“I-” _am breathing_ – Chad couldn’t even manage to wheeze, everything coming too fast and too shallow for him to try and gather himself.

He’d said the right answer that time. _He’d said the right answer,_ his grandfather shouldn’t be mad.

Shouldn’t, but he probably would be.

“Come on, Chad,” she soothed, so very quiet. “Match me, please. Just match me.”

It took forever for Chad to calm down again, for him to find his usual state of uselessness, terribly aware of the weight of their stares. It made him feel itchy in his skin, but mostly, he wanted to go outside, wanted to breathe fresh air and look at the sky and remind himself that in that moment, he was _free_. 

When he came back to himself, Chad felt exhausted, and Mal was still touching him, still so very close.

“I um… I don’t want to practice, anymore,” Chad said, each word feeling like a trial. “…could we try this tomorrow?”

It was Mal that answered, likely because Jay and Ben were still too confused. “Okay, Chad,” she allowed, finally letting him go. “Okay.”

He left the room in clumsy steps, conscious not to look behind him.

That path only led to terror, and he had enough of that as it was.

-:-:-:-:-:-

** Chapter 6 – Chad’s Shower **

Notes: _I toyed with the idea of Uma healing some of Chad’s bruises before I remembered that Rapunzel’s hair totally heals people and that she’d definitely used it on Chad to prove he hadn’t been spelled, thus making the next four lines unnecessary_.

-:-:-:-:-:-

He’d just finished conditioning his hair in the glorious- _glorious_ shower when Uma appeared next to the stall.

“Uma!” Chad jolted back against the wall, reaching down to cover his _business_ while she just sort of stared. “Um… do you need-?”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were bruised?” she asked, and then, without any kind of warning, she shrugged off her robe, dumping it on the edge of the tub while she slid back into the shower, her necklace cradled in one hand. “I _can_ help with that, you know. I think.”

She didn’t wait for him to reply before reaching out and touching his chest – eyes narrowed in concentration…

-:-:-:-:-:-

** Chapter 8 – Chad/Uma Bonding **

Notes: _I knew I wanted to have some kind of ocean bonding moment between Chad and Uma where he appreciated her in her natural habitat, and this was the first take at it before I got struck with the whole Atlantica story arc. It was supposed to end with giggling laughter times, only you can see where I got inspired to veer off into a completely different direction_. 

_Warning – the beginning to the scene features a depressed Uma_.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Uma was doing that thing where she was sprawled out on the window seat, glaring at the outside world because while they were making progress it was _slow_ progress, progress that was achieved with books and patience instead of battles that ended with instant gratification. King Eugene had explained it to Chad once, about how _this_ fight to help the kids from the Isle was different than any Uma must have known in her entire lifetime, and that was bound to make her frustrated, to make her feel useless because she wanted those kids to be safe so bad, and every day that she got to live _out here_ in the life of relative luxury was a day one of the orphans of the Isle wound up dead. 

It hurt, that there was little Chad could do in wake of those feelings of anger aside from be nearby, if Uma wanted him to, but it wasn’t uncommon for her to stay there slumped for hours at a time, clenching and unclenching her hands and ignoring his pleas for her to eat something. One of the few times Chad instigated contact with her without her express approval was when she’d finally pass out at the end of the day, and Chad would carry the captain from the window seat to the bed. He knew this slump was a way of her punishing herself for not doing better, and while Chad admired her tenacity, he knew better than anyone else how little she actually deserved the infliction.

It was another one of those low days, Chad realized when he visited for the weekend, and part of him was disappointed but most of him was sad, sad for Uma and Gil and Harry and the rest of her crew. He wished he could win the kingdoms over sooner. He wished he could get them reunited faster. He wished…

But wishes were useless, so he could only work.

“Hey,” Chad said quietly after a few hours of comfortable silence had passed. “Uma? Do you… could we go for a swim?”

It was a tactic Chad hadn’t tried before, but he’d realized ( _finally_ ) that Uma was a lot like him. She wanted to feel useful. And if she couldn’t feel useful, then she felt _sad_. So Chad decided to give her an outlet by way of request, and he couldn’t think of anything better than asking for one of Uma’s favorite things.

For a moment, he thought the gamble wouldn’t pay off, but then she slowly craned her head to look at him.

Chad leapt at the chance to speak while he had her attention. “It’s been awhile since we’ve gone in the ocean,” he explained, as though she were not painfully familiar with this fact. Queen Rapunzel said that Uma went on swims every day, but a lot of them were in the private saltwater lap pool for the sake of security. On occasion, Chad and Uma had gone to the beach on their own, but usually it was against the wishes of their host (at least on paper, in reality the king and queen seemed happy to turn a blind eye to their excursions).

“…you want to swim?” she said eventually, voice soft and gaze assessing – _engaged_. At least she wasn’t glaring out the window anymore.

Chad offered his best smile. “Yeah. You should um- get a chance to stretch your tentacles.”

Uma stared at him for a hard moment. “You want to see my tentacles?”

When she said it like that, it sounded _weird_ , so Chad’s responding flush was perfectly reasonable. “I want to see you at your um- freest,” he settled on. “So, could we go swimming, _please_?” 

Uma made a face, but at least she didn’t outright deny him. “Fine, but only if you wear that swimsuit Ruby got you.”

“But it’s so _tight_.” Chad flushed, thinking about the Corona-style swim trunks which were basically swim boxer-briefs that clung to um- _everything_.

“Yep.” Uma grinned, which made the entire expedition worth it. “They make your butt look _real_ good.”

“ _Uma_ ,” Chad groaned to the sound of her cackle, deciding to beat a quick retreat so he could change into the appropriate swimwear.

He wore looser shorts over the swimsuit and a light short sleeved shirt to get them to the beach, taking advantage of the late afternoon rays to enjoy the sunshine.

“Alright,” Uma said when they got to their private cove, slipping out of her fluttery sundress until she was left in a pretty teal one-piece. “Strip ‘em.”

“Let me get sun screen first,” Chad murmured, even though he’d already applied some back at the castle. He’d intended to use the excuse as a stalling tactic but then Uma _helped_ him reapply, so by the time it was just Chad in his tight light blue swim trunks he was very much ready to surrender himself to the water. 

Pretty girls were his weakness. Well, pretty humans. Pretty anyone. He was so shallow.

“Come on,” Uma laughed, tugging Chad into the water. “Let’s go for a swim.”

Whatever embarrassment Chad felt was totally worth it for Uma’s smile, to get to see the tension ease from her shoulders the farther she swam into the clear Corona waters. It was always amazing to watch the waters around her swirl into a blinding blaze of light, and between one second and the next her legs were replaced with tentacles, all blue and shimmery and strong, and Chad eagerly surrendered himself to being wrapped in a few as Uma tugged them deeper into the water.

“Hold on,” Uma said, her fingers curling around the necklace carefully resting against Chad’s throat. She cast a familiar water-breathing spell on Chad, producing his own private bubble of oxygen for his head, and then she was dragging him into the deep, shooting off like a rocket while they investigated the ocean surrounding Corona Bay.

Exploring the deep with Uma was easily one of the most exhilarating things Chad had ever done. She cut through the water like a rocket, going speeds Chad would never be able to achieve on his own. Her spell protected him from the pressures that would otherwise harm him, allowed him to see through the darkness into the world through _her_ eyes, and it was always beautiful, but more than that, watching _Uma_ gaze upon their surroundings was even more beautiful. She looked upon everything with a reserved kind of awe. This area of the ocean was far enough from Atlantica and Atlantis that she could maneuver without fear of being spotted by any other seafolk… 

-:-:-:-:-:-

** Chapter 8 – The Original Assault **

Notes: _So like, apparently Chad getting assaulted by mermaids was a thing that was always going to happen in this story. Originally, I had that planned to happen on the first day, with Chad and Uma parting ways when King Triton went to show her around the kingdom, but ultimately I decided that missed out on too many bonding opportunities, so this was scrapped for the scenes I eventually wrote_.

Warning – The below scene features non-con.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Uma considered his arm for a long moment, then looked at Chad.

Right.

“I can stay here,” he said gently, giving her tentacle a squeeze. “It will be okay. I’ll just um- show myself to the guest room I used last time?”

“That is acceptable,” the king rumbled. “So long as it is good with Uma.”

“Huh,” Uma said, then _finally_ took the king’s arm. “Alright. I guess I should see the kingdom my mom used to go on about forever.”

“It’d be my pleasure to show it to you,” the king smiled, so genuine and kind it hurt Chad’s chest a little. “Chadwick,” he said, offering Chad a nod.

Chad did his best to bow, though with the water it was hard. “Your majesty.”

“Be careful, blondie,” Uma said, allowing a tentacle to pet the top of his head. “Pulse the shell if you need me, okay?”

“Yes, Captain,” he said, giving her a slight bow as well. 

It was sort of sad, to be detangled from her grasp, but Chad knew it was better. _Felt_ better to see Uma swim arm-in-arm with her uncle, the captain sparing him one last look before they gracefully exited the palace. This was it. This was where she belonged.

He shouldn’t feel awkward about that, even if a dumb part of him insisted on it.

Chad felt uneasy watching Uma swim away with King Triton, but most of that was due to his own latent anxiety. He trusted Uma, both her capabilities and her patience, her ability to be diplomatic and set aside her own personal aspersions in light of the bigger picture. He knew without him that she’d be fine, he just wished he didn’t have to _wait_. 

Well, he supposed he could swim to the quarters they’d been given. Without Uma, he’d be stuck floating listlessly, but his weight belt might be enough to let him cuddle in the kelp bed. At the very least, he’d be somewhere he could be easily found when Uma felt like regrouping. That was something.

“ _Oooh_ , there you are!”

Chad’s plan was interrupted by the appearance of five pretty teenage mermaids, and based on their headpieces, he guessed these were the princesses Queen Rapunzel had briefed him on.

“Look, Aclina,” one of them tittered, swimming close to Chad and looking him over. “It’s the _human_ prince.”

“I never thought we’d get to see a human up close,” one of the other girls chirped, her hair a vibrant green that curled in the water behind her. “Grandpa says we’re too young to go up to the surface.”

“I thought their feet were smaller,” one with pink hair noted with a pout, poking at Chad’s flipper.

“They are,” Chad said, trying to be helpful and polite when he felt so very off-balance. Maybe not-introducing yourself was a mermaid thing. “These are shoes designed to help me swim faster. Look.”

He pulled one of the flippers off, and then they immediately cooed. 

At least, until the pink one started poking and prodding at his foot, stroking her hand across the arch and feeling at his toes. “ _Look at it_ ,” she urged, waving the green-haired one over. “They’re so _weird_.’

“They’re um- helpful for walking around on land,” Chad said, feeling a bit defensive.

Over the course of that explanation, he lost his other shoe to the green-haired one, until both of his feet were being thoroughly inspected by the princesses.

“And these are legs?” a red haired one asked, circling both hands around Chad’s ankle before stroking _upwards_. “It’s like you have two fins. How could you possibly coordinate them?”

“It’s- I don’t know, second nature?” Chad said, flushing when she got up to his knee and just sort of kept going. “Hey um- usually we don’t-”

“Your scales are all weird,” another one pouted as she pinched the material of his wetsuit – this one with lilac curls. “They’re all slick and soft-”

“Well, actually-”

“And what’s with this?” the fifth one asked, flooding Chad with a terribly embarrassed heat because she was _squeezing his butt_. “It’s all firm.”

“Um-”

“We don’t have this,” the green haired one said, and then she was- she was touching Chad’s _groin_ , poking and prodding at it as the other two kept touching his legs. “What do you call that?”

“Please don’t touch there,” Chad said, but his voice must have been too quiet to carry through the air bubble, because they just sort of kept groping him. 

“Hey!” the lilac haired on cheered, pinching at the waist of Chad’s wetsuit pants. “These aren’t scales after all!”

“No, um- they’re _clothes_. Humans wear them to- please _stop-_ ” he gasped as she started edging them down, trying to get a peak at his skin, but it was five of them and one of him and they were all very interested in _touching_ him and Chad still hadn’t figured out how to get them to back off by the time the upper part of his butt was on display and one of them reached _into_ his pants and-

“ _Wow_ ,” the red haired one cooed as she guided the tip of Chad’s genitals out, and Chad was still kind of stuck on the fact that they were all _touching_ him and she had, she’d just- “Look at _this_.”

“What is it?” the green haired one breathed. “Is that like a merman’s- _you know_?”

“It has to be,” the pink haired one gasped, stroking the sensitive skin and making Chad shudder, and he couldn’t touch them, wasn’t supposed to initiate contact without permission and he hadn’t been given permission so he just had to sort of float there while his chest squeezed tighter and tighter.

“Oh _wow_ ,” the fifth one said. “Maybe um- you shouldn’t mess with that-”

“I’m sure it’s not _exactly_ the same,” the red haired one said, pushing Chad’s wetsuit pants lower on his hips. “Those are only displayed on a merman when he’s ready to – you know – and the prince obviously isn’t having sex so this is probably something else.”

Chad felt his cheeks heat with warmth. “It’s- it’s not, please stop-”

“It’s so _red_ ,” the lilac haired one said, teasing and stroking, and the fifth one behind him was feeling between his cheeks, the other still very much touching his legs. “Have you shown Uma this?”

“ _What_?” Chad flailed, partially because they were _touching_ him and partially because the one behind him had found his entrance and seemed determined to explore it with a swirl of her very slippery fingers. “ _No_ , of course not. And please, _please_ stop touch-”

“What is this?” the fifth one asked, one of her sisters crowding beside her as she teased at him and it was so weird, he had only ever with Jay that one time and one time Audrey when she had felt really generous but that time had hurt way more but this was different because he wasn’t dating them and why did they keep _touching_ -

Chad’s heart seemed to pinch when one of the mermaids reached _into_ his pants and dived low, cupping his um- sack, squeezing and stroking and marveling its consistency and everything and-

“Please, please stop,” he asked again. “ _Please_. Humans, um- we don’t touch like this-”

“Why not?” the one behind him asked, slipping a finger _inside_ and it didn’t hurt but Chad was definitely mortified. “We touch each other’s fins all the time.”

“Maybe humans are just repressed,” the one with a _hand in his pants_ said. “We could show him how nice it is! Maybe give him a nice bath-”

“That’s a great idea, Adara,” the red haired one said. “That will give us more time to get a better look-”

“ _Get off of him!_ ”

It was Uma’s voice – Uma’s anger and Uma’s rage and Chad should be worried for that, but mostly he felt relieved. He supposed he should be frightened at the way her voice seemed to bounce around the room until it reverberated into his bones, but it made the princesses scurry, gave him a chance to _breathe_ again. It was only when Uma cut to his side, wrapping her tentacles loosely around him in a protective shield, that he registered the heat building behind his eyes. Oh no. _Oh no_. 

“What is the meaning of this?” King Triton rumbled, Chad doing his best to set his wetsuit to rights but the king had already seen, probably thought Chad was a _pervert_ and his throat felt tight.

“We were just curious, grandpa,” the green haired one said. “We’ve never seen a human up close-”

“He’s so squishy!” the pink haired one said. “Yet firm. And those aren’t scales-”

“ _Enough_ ,” the king snapped, so fiercely that Chad’s whole body seemed to tense, even in the protective hold of Uma’s tentacles. “Uma, could you please escort Prince Chadwick to your quarters?” 

“Sure, Uncle,” Uma drawled, giving the princesses one last stink eye before she carried Chad away, through the twists and turns of the Atlantica palace. 

It wasn’t until she had them safely cuddled on the kelp bed that Chad allowed himself to let go, tears pouring down his cheeks as he shoved a hand against his mouth.

“Mother _fuckers_ ,” Uma hissed, dragging Chad close in a hug she rarely offered on land. “What do you need?”

“I’m- I’m sorry,” Chad gasped, bypassing the question because _his_ needs were entirely irrelevant. “I’m so sorry. He’s going to think I’m some pervert and he won’t- he’ll back out and then Westerly and Apheliotia and- and _Agrabah_ will change their minds and we’ll never get Atlantis and our entire proposal will fail. The kids will stay trapped on the Isle all because of me-”

“ _Hey_ ,” Uma’s voice was firm when she cut through Chad’s babbling diatribe. She cupped his face between her hands, gently wiping away his tears as she tilted their foreheads together. “What happened down there- _that_ wasn’t your fault. You were just following the mermaid social edicts, right?”

“Yeah,” Chad said, voice shaking and throat thick. “But-”

“Do you trust me?” Uma asked, her tentacles curling around him closer, grounding him as much as they could underwater. 

Chad shivered into the touch, but nodded. “Of course.”

“Then trust that I know King Triton won’t do that,” she said. “He’s still going to back us and you’re not going to get in trouble, because you didn’t do _anything wrong_.”

Except get tainted. Oh no, he was _tainted_ now, and granted, Audrey didn’t know, but Chad was so dumb he’d gotten a little turned on by all the touching even though he didn’t want it, and it was still there and he- he just wanted it to go away. He wanted to do better, for Uma.

“I… I trust you,” Chad said, because he couldn’t find it in himself to agree. “…but I’m still sorry, Captain.”

“No apologies,” Uma said, pulling him into her lap. It was nice, but also sort of embarrassing because she could see his predicament. “…want me to help with that?”

Chad was surprised by the immediate urge he had to say _yes_. And also sort of terrified.

He forced himself to shake his head. “I’m um- I’m not supposed to let other girls-”

“Right,” Uma clipped, and Chad almost tensed again but she wrapped an arm around his waist, keeping him close and giving a light squeeze. “Do _you_ want to take care of it? No touching from me involved.”

“You, um-” Chad felt himself flush all the way down to his toes. “You want to watch-?”

“I’ll protect you,” Uma pledged, and then and there Chad knew the words would be forever true. “I’ll keep you safe while you’re vulnerable.”

It was almost greater than any promise Audrey had ever given him, and though he knew it was because Chad was Uma’s ally, he couldn’t help but be touched by the gesture. It was almost like he was a part of her crew.

“Um.” Chad swallowed, clearing his throat nervously. “L-let me know if I’m bothering you.”

“You got it, slick,” she said, giving his waist another squeeze. And then she waited.

Her gaze was locked on his up until the point he eased a hand into his lap, squeezing at himself tentatively to see if he could still be interested and realizing with a sort of shocked amazement that the mere idea of Uma’s focus on him had him worked up to an unbelievable degree. 

By the time he’d worked his wetsuit pants back down, he was flushed and shaky all over again, and that was just under the weight of Uma’s _stare_. 

Feeling her tentacles against his bare hips made him shudder, and it was almost like he’d entirely forgotten how to masturbate, he felt so clumsy, hand trembling as he pumped himself slowly up and down.

“That’s it,” Uma murmured into his ear, sounding so very approving. “Just like that, sweetheart. Do you feel good?”

“Y-yes, Uma,” Chad gasped, hand stuttering when he lost focus before he managed to rediscover his rhythm. “Um. Do- do I _look_ good?”

He regretted asking the question the moment it left his lips, and yet, Uma was humming, that thoughtful sort of sound that made Chad breathless with anticipation.

“Yeah, baby,” Uma said, her fingers curling around Chad’s bare hip. “You look _very_ good. So good, I wanna put you on display.”

“ _Uma_.” Chad flushed, would have tried to cover his face were he not so concerned with putting on a good performance for Uma.

“At least for my crew,” Uma continued. “Or maybe just Harry and Gil. They’d appreciate it. Harry especially – he’s got a thing for blonds.”

“Oh,” Chad gasped, feeling himself get close to the edge. “Oh- _ah-_ ”

“Like that?” Uma asked, nuzzling Chad’s shoulder. “I’d spread you out in his bed, hold you just like this- maybe let Gil help out- he likes to help, like you-”

Chad’s heart fluttered. “Uma-”

“And then all of Harry’s favorite things would be in one place,” the captain hummed. Chad had to remind himself that Harry’s favorite things were _Uma_ and _Gil_ and not Chad, but it was hard when she was calling him pretty and nice and lovely, something he hadn’t gotten since Jay and the others, because Audrey wasn’t one for giving compliments so much as getting them. She also definitely never wanted to watch Chad masturbate. She didn’t see a point to it.

“Uma,” Chad whined, leaning into her shoulder for the sheer reason that he could. “I’m gonna- may I-?”

“Yes, sweetheart,” she said, curling a hand through his hair. “Come for me. I wanna see you fall apart.”

And. Well.

Chad _did_. To what was maybe the most receptive audience in his life.

-:-:-:-:-:-

** Chapter 9 – The Original Uma/Chad fight **

Notes: _This argument wasn’t bad, per se, I just felt like it could be better, which was why I ended up rewriting it._

-:-:-:-:-:-

“Why the fuck do you want to date this Audrey chick so badly anyway?” Uma asked one day, after Chad had given her an appropriate update on his kingdom-wooing efforts (he’d won over three more to their side this month alone) and had moved on to the King Eugene enforced ‘small talk’ portion of their conversation. 

Chad and Uma had a tendency to get caught up in work, so for every hour of that they had to have at least fifteen minutes of _bonding_ , which bothered Uma to no end until Chad made her realize that bonding could include painting their nails or redoing her braids or sneaking aboard the latest Corona speed yacht to get an up close look of their special features. Lord Frederic (Queen Rapunzel’s dad) often despaired for their teamwork and propensity towards mischief, but Lady Arianna (Queen Rapunzel’s _mom_ ) and King Edmund (King Eugene’s dad) found it endearing and frequently encouraged their ‘need to explore’. 

Uma, by no means, required their approval for any of her actions, but Chad could tell she sort of preened at the positive attention, which she rightly deserved. 

The question caught Chad off guard. He’d been wanting to date Audrey for so very long that it had mostly become second nature to him, engrained in his spirit, and he never thought he’d have to articulate this need beyond the one time Jay had asked him, and Chad knew how _that_ had turned out.

“Well,” Chad began carefully, wanting to do Audrey justice. “She’s really strong and really pretty, and she told me if I behaved she might like me.”

Uma made a face. “Why don’t you try to date someone who already likes you?”

Because they did not exist, but Chad was sort of flattered that Uma thought that was a possibility for him. “Because I want to date Audrey,” he reiterated. “She’s the heir to _three_ kingdoms.”

Which meant she must be a really good princess, and Chad’s grandfather was always going on about how important it was for Sardinia to have a _good_ princess and if Chad couldn’t get a _good princess_ then maybe the king should be someone who _could_. 

Uma froze, a sort of calculating look slipping onto her features as she considered him. “So what, you want to be king of four kingdoms?”

Chad flushed. “I’d only be king on a technicality, Audrey would still lead her three, it’s just-”

“You’d have even more power this way,” Uma said, sitting up. “Have more sway on the council, isn’t that how it works? Even if you’re only king on a ‘technicality’?” She was openly frowning at him now. “Fuck, no wonder you let that chick boss you around so much, you don’t actually give a shit if she likes you, you just want her kingdoms.”

“What?” Chad struggled to follow Uma’s logic, hurt that she would think such a thing of him when she _knew_ he was a bad prince, he just wanted to give Sardinia a bright future and Audrey was his only option. “That’s not it.”

“Sure it is,” Uma snarled, sliding to her feet to glare at him head on. “You play up this whole act about being earnest and good, about not being _enough_ , but you’ve won over every kingdom you’ve talked to.” By the skin of his _teeth_. “You’re not some- wounded _child_ , you’re a calculating asshole, who did all _this_ -” She motioned around him. “Just to get a handle on _me_.”

“No, Uma.” Panic spiked through Chad’s chest. “No, I’m not- that isn’t true-”

“Spare me the sad eyes, Blondie, I know your game,” she spat prowling forward with angry steps. She stopped when she reached Chad, then in a brutally fast moment, ripped the shell necklace from his throat, clutching it to her chest. “Must have been real happy when Queenie down there wanted you to keep a hold of _this_ , weren’t you? Well, _fuck you_ , Chad. Good luck winning over that princess that will never love you - hope you’re real happy with your _four kingdoms_.”

“Uma.” Heat began to build behind Chad’s eyes. “Please, that’s not- I don’t want Audrey’s kingdoms-”

“ _Save it_ ,” Uma snapped, motioning towards the door. “Save your handmade books and your sad eyes and your _bullshit_. I knew you were too good to be real. Save it all and get the hell out of here. I’m willing to trust King and Queenie, but _you-_ ” She judged him with a sneer. “You’re _nothing_. Get out.”

It was amazing, how quickly Chad could make things fall apart. He didn’t argue though, over the building tears his mind was ringing with how he _should have known better_. He didn’t have friends. _Uma_ wasn’t his friend – she was too brave and strong and daring and she knew that, not him, but _that_ , and maybe this was for the best. He’d only drag her down. He’d probably drag _Audrey_ down too but-

He had to try.

He had so very little left, that much he had to try for.

-:-:-:-:-:-

** The Alternate Discovery **

Notes: _I had this vague idea for how they would discover Chad was Shadow where Chad was like, actually present for the discovery. It was an interesting concept, but one I ultimately cut because it depended on Belle already knowing Chad was a cat, which in hindsight, did not seem like something she would keep quiet about_. _This was also before the whole Uma/Chad bonding arc was written._

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chad wasn’t sure what had woken him up, though that didn’t stop him from surrendering to the feeling. He had long since resigned himself to trusting his weird cat instincts, and if they said _‘wake up_ ’ that was what he was going to do, and if they said ‘ _move_ ’ then he was going to be in motion before he even processed it, batting open the door knob until he could slide out into the hallway, trying to find his quarry.

It didn’t take him long to determine the disturbance in his cat force – Jay easing out of his own room and down the hall, dressed as though he was trying to go somewhere unobserved. 

In his hand was a familiar pink stationary – Auroria _pink_ , scented with Audrey’s perfume, and Chad knew without question that something suspect was going on. 

So he did what Cat Chad did to Jay best.

He was a proper nuisance.

Chad wasted no time bolting across the floor, wrapping himself around the teen’s leg and digging his claws into the material of Jay’s pants, careful not to get the skin below. As soon as that was settled he started wailing as loudly as possible, meowing up a furious storm that would at least wake Uma, who was a notoriously light sleeper.

“What the fuck?” Jay hissed as soon as he realized what was going on, staring down at his leg. “No- hey. Shut up, Shadow.”

Chad yelled louder. Cat-yelled. It was still an impressive racket.

“Come _on_ ,” Jay groaned, attempting to shake Chad off of his leg. Joke was on him, Cat Chad was only slightly less determined than real Chad, which meant he wasn’t going to budge until someone showed up. “I have to go, you little shit-”

When he tried to reach a hand down to detangle Chad, the prince paused his wailing to nip at calloused fingers until Jay flinched away, and then it was back to meowing again, as loud as his dumb small lungs could manage.

Finally, Uma stumbled out into the hallway, a half-asleep Harry following behind her. “What the hell is going on?” she groused, though her grumpiness seemed to fade away as soon as she caught sight of Jay’s stealth clothing, and the note clutched in his hand. “You got something you want to share with the class, Jadir?”

“I’ve got this, Uma,” Jay snapped, shaking out his hand before trying to make a grab for Chad’s scruff. That time, Chad may have broken skin in retaliation, and when Jay _did_ manage to grab him, he sunk his claws deep into his pants. “It’s something that needs to be taken care of _quietly-_ ”

“What the _fuck_?” Mal snarled, storming out of the king’s quarters with Ben’s robe draped around her shoulders and an exhausted king lingering behind her. “Is someone killing Shadow?” She paused when she caught sight of Jay, eyebrows rising steadily higher when Chad let out another vicious wail. “What the hell, Jay?”

The thief flushed. “It’s nothing, Mal.”

“Yeah, you going somewhere at ass o’clock in the morning is _nothing_ ,” she snapped, and _finally_ Gil stumbled out of his room, the last to join the party.

Immediately, Chad quieted down. He didn’t actually want to wake the entire castle, just the few that could get Jay to fall in line.

He didn’t let go though, not until Uma and Harry blocked off the exit behind Jay, leaving him buffered between two sets of deeply unimpressed people. It was only then that Chad released his hold, plodding across the floor until he could curl around Gil’s ankles, the blond picking him up and cradling him against his chest seemingly on reflex.

Mal reached over without tearing her gaze off of Jay. “Good boy,” she said, scratching behind Chad’s ears. “Getting our attention like that.”

“Is something happening?” Gil asked, rubbingly sleepily at his eyes. “Why are you all dressed, Jay?”

“That’s something we’d _all_ like to know,” Mal drawled.

It was interesting to watch the tension fill Jay’s body just as easily as it drifted away, the thief forcing himself to remain composed when everyone seemed against him.

Ben sighed. “Why don’t we go back to our room?” he offered. “And hope we didn’t wake up the rest of the castle.”

“That _Shadow_ didn’t wake up the rest of the castle,” Jay corrected, seemingly on principle.

Uma huffed. “Don’t start that shit _now_.”

It was in a haze of confusion, tension, and bitter defense that they trudged into Ben’s sitting room, Jay carefully positioned between Mal and Harry while Uma, Ben, and Gil sat across from them, Chad curled up in the blond’s lap. 

Uma held out an impatient hand. “The note, Jay.”

Jay seemed to clutch it close on reflex. “It’s-”

Harry cut in with a cackle, seeming startlingly normal without his eyeliner. “It wasn’t a request, _Jadir_.”

Seeing he was outnumbered, Jay reluctantly handed the small piece of paper over to Ben, one last act of rebellion that Uma took with a roll of her eyes. 

Ben stared at it with slow comprehension. “…this is from Audrey.”

“Yep,” Jay drawled with a forced sort of detachment, likely anticipating the way the others tensed. “She says she might have information on Chad’s whereabouts.”

It was then that Chad froze too, stilling under Gil’s careful pets as a sort of white noise flooded his ears. 

When he came back, Gil was curling him against his chest, letting Chad listen to the rhythmic beat of his heart. “It’s okay,” he was whispering, low enough that hopefully Uma alone would hear. “It’s okay, I know you miss him too.”

Sort of. Kind of. It was hard to explain, now. At least Shadow got love. 

“Are ye fucking _stupid_?” Harry griped in the meantime. “It’s obviously a trap. Why would she want to meet in the middle of the night?”

Jay tensed. “Her house arrest-”

“If you broke into her fucking house,” Mal began with a low, threatening sort of drawl. “You know that would look bad on _you_ , right? And if we wanted to keep that violation from reaching the light of day well, she could always agree to ignore it in turn for a diminished sentence-”

“What the hell _else_ was I supposed to do?” Jay snapped, using far more ferocity than Chad ever would have expected. “If there is even the slightest chance she might be right, shouldn’t I seek her out?”

“Without talking to us?” Uma pressed. “I’ll admit, we don’t know this guy as well as you do, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to help.”

“ _Why_?” Jay was closing in on himself, putting up a wall of defensiveness and arrogance to keep his true reactions at bay, and it was strange that Chad could see that now, that he knew the thief well enough to see that was happening. “Why would you want to help us find Chad?”

“Because it’s obvious you guys are all attached to him.” _Attached_ to him – more like felt guilty because of him. None of them were really his friends, not even Ben, who Chad had actually grown up with. “We’re friends now, asshole-”

“ _Attached_ to him?” Jay snarled, rocking to his feet in a rough movement. Of all things, Chad would have expected him to object to the potential friendship, not to being accused of liking Chad. Though of course, that figured. It was like Mal telling Ben not to mourn him all over again. “We’re not ‘attached’ to him, we _love_ him!” 

There were a few moments where Chad lost track of his surroundings, so overcome by a wave of _shock_ , because Jay hadn’t been lying. Jay had no reason to lie, he didn’t know Chad was here. He didn’t even like Chad as a _cat_ , there was no point in putting on a show for five people he seemed to trust.

And what was worse was that Mal and Ben weren’t even protesting, didn’t even try to correct him or cut in – Ben going so far as to nod grimly, which meant that he agreed- that he _loved_ Chad? How would the blond prince miss that? He’d always gone out of his way to know-

Everything was- too much. He could feel his body trembling uncontrollably but he couldn’t grab a hold of himself. It was like he was having a stupid cat panic attack, water trailing from his eyes down into his fur, pained half-cries spilling from his mouth without his consent.

“Shadow?” Distantly, he heard Gil’s panicked voice, the pirate holding him close. “Shadow, what’s wrong?”

“Is he having a seizure?” Uma asked, leaning in close, and Chad fought to breathe, tried to catch his breath but those horrible sounds kept spilling from his throat. Like a reflexive sort of objection – he didn’t understand. 

“Shadow? Hey, it’s okay.” Gil sounded close to tears, and Chad hated that, hated that he couldn’t help the blond that had offered him so much kindness. “I need you to breathe slower, okay? Slower kitty breaths.”

“Why’s he acting like that?” Harry asked while Chad tried and likely failed to follow Gil’s instructions, coming closer to centered even though his body wouldn’t stop shivering. “He was fine until Jay admitted to what we already knew.”

“I mean…” Uma spoke up slowly, and Chad would pay more attention to that, but he had Gil- and Gil was the one that mattered. It was Gil’s arms around him. “…maybe _he_ didn’t know that.”

“What are you saying?” Jay sounded so lost. “He can’t actually understand us.”

“Sure he could,” Uma countered. “If he was a human that got spelled.”

The room seemed to tense, and Chad froze all over again. 

It was Mal that hovered into his line of sight, gaze watery and filled with a sort of hope Chad would never be able to satisfy. “…Chad?”

Unbidden, he released that awful croon again, burying his face in Gil’s chest because he didn’t know what to do.

He heard Ben gasp. “ _Chad_.” Shuffling, and the king was likely moving closer, crouching next to Mal. “Chad, is that you?”

No, no, no, _no, no_. It wasn’t Chad. Chad wasn’t home, anymore. Chad was the guy you weren’t supposed to mourn, the guy you didn’t care about. Chad was gone and replaced and it didn’t matter and Ben’s stupid endearing smile didn’t get to try and suck him back in.

Chad couldn’t stop meowing; body so tense it felt like he was about to snap.

“Stop messing around, guys,” Jay said, sounding- Chad didn’t know how he sounded. “That’s not Chad. Chad isn’t a _cat_.”

“Apparently, he is,” Uma said, unapologetic.

“ _No_ ,” Jay insisted. “He’s not. He’s not Shadow. If he was Shadow, I never would have-”

“What?” Harry interrupted with a low drawl. “Ye would have treated him nicer?”

He wouldn’t have. Jay didn’t like him that much, no matter what he said. The proof was in his behavior.

“Chad?” Ben whispered. “Could you look at me please, sweetheart?”

Against his own will, Chad turned towards the king – Ben regal and composed and everything Chad would never be – _human_ with a strong, brilliant partner helping him find his way, and now he was looking on his past friend who had gotten his dipshit self turned into a _cat_ like he was something special. 

“ _Chad_.” Ben’s expression melted into one of open relief. “Sorry, bud. Sorry it took us so long, but we’re here now.”

“We’ve got you,” Mal added, seeming painfully earnest.

Jay said nothing.

It probably shouldn’t have been a surprise when Chad bolted, and yet he still heard reflexive sounds of shock when he darted out the bedroom door.

“Chad!” Ben was shouting behind him- all of them running, but Chad couldn’t- didn’t care, he couldn’t be a _cat_ while they were human, couldn’t have them know what he’d been turned into. 

He’d rather they think he was slutting around again. That was fine. He didn’t mind being a whore, better that than a _dipshit_.

Chad didn’t travel far, didn’t have the heart or composure to do so. Instead, he fumbled with the handle to the Duke and Duchess’s room before barging inside, crowing all the while. He could hear the sounds of movement by the time he reached their bedroom, Ben and Mal still hollering behind him.

“ _What_ is going on?” Duke Adam grumbled as he turned on the light, though his wife was much quicker to react, forcing herself out of bed the moment she heard Chad.

“Shadow?” she called, rising to her feet, concern leaking into her features when he cowered behind her. “What’s going on, sweetheart?”

“Is it that cat?” Duke Adam said, which was the last question he got to ask before Mal, Ben, and Jay burst into the room.

“Mom!” Ben pressed when he didn’t immediately see Chad, gaze darting around the room. “Did you see Shadow? It’s um- it’s really important that we- we’ve got to…”

“Get ahold of yourself, Ben,” Duke Adam said, following his wife’s lead and getting out of bed. “It couldn’t possibly be that important for you to find a cat at-” He frowned at his clock. “Do you _know_ what time it is?”

“Ben…” Duchess Belle’s voice was carefully quiet when she spoke up, her billowy nightgown protecting Chad from immediate view. “Did you figure it out?”

“Figure what out?” Duke Adam asked. “Is anyone going to explain _what’s_ going on?”

“Chad’s Shadow,” Ben blurted out, his tone sounding… wrecked, maybe.

“Chad’s…” Chad could hear the Duke frowning. “What, like _Prince_ Chad? He’s that- your cat?”

At this point, he likely turned to his wife to confirm this, and Duchess Belle was beautifully composed, if a little bit sad.

“How long did you know?” Ben asked.

“A couple weeks,” the Duchess admitted. “It was a curse.”

“Excuse me,” the Duke cut in. “Are you saying someone cursed Prince Chad into a cat?” There was a wave of motion, likely towards his wife. “ _That_ cat?”

“That seems to be exactly what happened,” Queen Belle said diplomatically. “I had hoped that the curse would be more easily broken if no one knew his true identity but… it seems like that’s a moot point, now.”

“ _Mom_.” Ben sounded so sad, like how he’d been when Mal told him not to cry for him. “Mom please, I just- we need to talk to him.”

“You’ll talk to him when he’s ready,” Duchess Belle said, so beautifully firm and composed, and Chad almost believed it. Believed he’d get a choice. “For now, you should go back to bed.”

“But-”

“Go to bed, Ben,” Duke Adam said, falling in line with his wife’s wishes even if he didn’t know what was going on. “He deserves not to feel cornered.”

There was a painful pause.

“…okay,” Ben said, the words barely audible. It was a few seconds more before Chad heard the door close, their footsteps retreating until the only sound he heard was that of the former king and queen’s breathing. He hoped he hadn’t upset Gil too much. 

Distantly, he saw the duchess move, turning and crouching to face him, and Chad found himself darting under her large bed, himself up near the wall and curling into as small a circle as he could manage. 

He heard the duchess sigh. “You have nothing to be ashamed of, Chad,” she murmured, trying to keep her voice gentle. It was a familiar curl of warmth, one that came from Chad pretending to have a mother, but he _didn’t_ have a mother. She was dead, and she’d taken his father with her. He didn’t have anyone, and now he never would again, because they _knew_ he was dumb, useless Chad. “Sweetheart, this wasn’t your fault.”

“It’s going to be okay.” Chad was surprised when the former king chose to speak, kneeling beside his wife so they could form a united front. “It might not seem like it now, but I know from experience, it will be okay.”

No, it wouldn’t be. Duke Adam had been transformed into a beast, but he could still _talk_. He could still do things, and have hands. Chad was just a dumb cat. Easy to boss around, small. Hated by half of the population. 

“We’re here for you, Chad,” Duchess Belle promised. “When you’re ready to come out, we’re here for you. And when you’re ready to see them, you will, and not a moment before.” 

Chad tried to hold onto that, even though he knew it was a fleeting thing. He had gone into this thinking it was the worst thing that had ever happened to him, and now he was struck with the realization that it could have been the _best_ if they’d never found out. He wasn’t meant to be a prince. Acting as a lap cat was all he was good for. Gil had figured that out.

And now here he was, curled up in the darkness once more, waiting for a rescue that wouldn’t come.

No one could save him from himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At that was all she wrote :)
> 
> Until next time


End file.
